


Crimson Snow

by Biowarenerd



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action/Adventure, Additional Warnings Apply, Angst, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Dawnguard DLC, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:28:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 106,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21739885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Biowarenerd/pseuds/Biowarenerd
Summary: Years after the infamous Dovahkiin disappeared from Skyrim, the legend suddenly reappears. With new threats forming on the horizon and even at his side, will the Dragonborn survive long enough to save not only Skyrim, but all of Tamriel from eternal darkness?A trail of blood leading away from the bodies of the dead. A trail that led to one figure, standing still, making the white snow around him turn crimson.His hands were frozen around his weapons, still expecting another fight. But none came. Nothing else was out there. Just the morning birds singing their happy songs.His eyelids drooping and his body waving in the breeze, his body was failing him rapidly. He was dying. That much was clear.What wasn’t clear was if she had made it to safety. He hoped she had. He hoped she would live the rest of her life in peace. Happy.His knees gave out and he fell to the red snow, his frozen hands still clutching his weapons as the rising sunlight quickly faded.He hoped he could finally stop fighting soon.
Relationships: Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana, Past Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Lydia
Comments: 36
Kudos: 261





	1. A Surprise Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> This story will loosely follow the plot of the Dawnguard dlc with my own spin on it. And will take place many years after the other main plots of the game. Keep in mind that this Dragonborn will be a lot different from your typical Dragonborn but I think you'll enjoy his personality all the same.

CHAPTER ONE

Snow fell silently, gently cascading down to the ground around the still figure. The sun was just rising over the horizon, spreading a golden light onto the land. A carpet of snow lay on the ground, covering it as far as the naked eye could see. A calm breeze drifted lazily through the air, swirling up the occasional tuft of snow flurries. Songbirds sang their morning tunes, welcoming the new day as the land slowly woke up. But there was something else; something that made the birds uneasy. The scent of blood.

A trail of blood leading away from the bodies of the dead. A trail that led to one figure, standing still, making the white snow around him turn crimson. 

His hands were frozen around his weapons, still expecting another fight. But none came. Nothing else was out there. Just the morning birds singing their happy songs.

His eyelids drooping and his body waving in the breeze, his body was failing him rapidly. He was dying. That much was clear. 

What wasn’t clear was if she had made it to safety. He hoped she had. He hoped she would live the rest of her life in peace. Happy. 

His knees gave out and he fell to the red snow, his frozen hands still clutching his weapons as the rising sunlight quickly faded.

He hoped he could finally stop fighting soon. 

The house stood alone. Nearby, the blacksmith’s forge and shop sat, not too close but close enough that one could hear the sounds of metal on metal from the door of the house. It wasn’t overly impressive looking, really. Just a small wooden house with simple decorations and carvings adorning the doorway. Much like every building in the district it stood on a little slope. Really, the only evidence that anyone lived in it was the faint wisps of smoke coming out of the stone chimney. There was nothing special looking about it. And some might say that the tiny house matched perfectly with its owner. 

Although, the people in the city hadn’t seen the owner of the house in a number of years. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the housecarl that still resides within, the house would have long past fell into disarray, with cobwebs growing in every corner and the wood rotting away. And yet, it hadn’t. The small house was still as it had been when it was first built: simple but comfortable and clean. Which again, could be words to describe the owner, wherever they may be.

Over the last few years, it and its owner had largely faded from conversation. Now, it was just another house. Only a few remembered that it used to house a hero turned legend. And quite frankly, a legend turned myth. For no one had seen the legend in some time now. And just like all things, had faded from people’s lips. 

It was midday, with the sun hanging high above the sky with a couple clouds drifting lazily by. Townsfolk were busy going about their day. Kids were playing. A couple dogs could be heard barking. And a slight breeze flew through the city of Whiterun. It was just a normal day.

And the small house still stood.

Lydia looked at it. For years, the Nord had kept up its upkeep. She had lived in it all these years, alone besides the dog. She never got any visitors, no one stopped by to say hello. At least, not anymore. She wondered why that was. 

Shaking her thoughts away, she moved on, returning to what she had been doing before. She walked up the street to the market, nodding to Ysolda as she passed. The woman was one of the only people Lydia counted as a friend. Although, the two didn’t speak that often. Lydia was a quiet person, one that didn’t talk much to begin with. 

She quickly bought some meat and produce and then stopped by Arcadia’s for some herbs. Meeko had a few fleas again that she needed to get rid of. 

Arcadia smiles pleasantly at the woman. She, unlike most others, still remembered when Lydia would travel with the owner of Breezehome. She remembered when the two would show up to her shop, with some health issue or another they had gotten on the road. She still remembered when Lydia would smile. Of course, she rarely smiled anymore. Almost like the Nord had forgotten how to smile. 

“Has Meeko been exploring again?” She asked.

Lydia nodded. “Unfortunately. I swear, that dog finds more fleas than he does picking up trails.”

Arcadia chuckled. “Well, he’s curious. Can’t fault him for that.”

Lydia raised an eye. “Yes I can.”

Arcadia nodded, smiling as she handed her some ointments. “There you go. Just rub them on his back and the fleas should jump right off in a day or two.” 

Lydia went to pay her but Arcadia shook her head. “It’s on me.”

Lydia frowned. “But I have the septims.”

Arcadia smiled again. “It’s no trouble, really. I can’t let my favorite dog suffer with itching now can I?”

Lydia bowed her head slightly in thanks. “Thank you, Arcadia. Take care.”

Carrying her items, she left the store and walked back to the house. She stopped at the door, dropping the items where she stood. 

The door was open. 

_ Who’s dumb enough to steal from this place?  _ She thought to herself as she took out a dagger, prepared to defend her home from whatever low class thief was inside her house. 

Stepping inside silently, she first checked the room behind the stairs. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she slowly climbed the stairs. At the top, she heard the loud thump of Meeko’s tail hitting the floor. Walking quietly, she rounded the corner and stepped into the master bedroom. 

Meeko was sitting on the floor, wagging his tail happily as someone scratched his head. 

Whoever it was had their back turned to her, seemingly unaware that she was there. 

“If you don’t want me to gut you like a fish, I suggest you turn around slowly and leave before I hit you anyway for trespassing.” She growled.

The man, for it was obviously a man, turned around slowly, raising his hands in surrender. 

As soon as she saw him, the dagger slipped from her trembling hands.  _ It...it can’t be...It isn’t possible. _

With his hands up, the man smiled. “I surrender.”

Lydia could only stare at him. It was  _ him. _

He had long shaggy blonde hair that partially covered his face. His blue eyes shone mischievously from behind an outer layer of kindness. As if he was hiding the mischief behind a mask. His face was scarred, with scars ranging from small to large, short to long. The hint of some freckles could be seen dotting underneath his eyes. His nose was partially broken, almost like he had patched it up hastily. 

He wore jet black armor with a purple hue to it. A black cloak was wrapped around his shoulders, hanging down his back. A cowl was wrapped around his neck, probably to keep his identity a mystery when he was traveling. And if Lydia had to guess, it was his same light Nightingale armor that he had left in all those years ago. 

On the man’s sides were two ebony swords, shining like moonlight. Around his waist, attached to his belt, was a number of smaller daggers and knives. 

“It can’t be. It—…”

The man grinned at her. “What’s the matter, Lydia? You look like I’ve returned from the dead.”

Lydia sniffed, tears forming in her eyes to the point where it was getting hard to see clearly. She took a step forward and threw her arms over the man, damning the consequences. Her Thane had returned.

He snickered, startled by the sudden emotional embrace. In all his years, he had never thought that she would hug him like that. He smiled to himself. She must have missed him then.

The two old friends hugged for a number of seconds before Lydia stepped back. And then slapped Jotunn across his face. Jotunn yelped as he winced, his hand going up to rub his cheek. Although he didn’t mind. He was just glad she hadn’t punched him.  _ That _ very well would have knocked him out.

He groaned. “Right. I probably deserved that.”

She kicked him in his shin. He jumped up in pain. “And that.”

Lydia raised a hand to slap him once more but he caught her mid strike. “Okay, okay, message received. You can stop with the hurting me.” 

Lydia growled at him. “I think I deserve to hurt you after all these years. You said, and I quote, ‘I’ll be back faster than you can swing a sword.’ Or am I remembering that wrong?”

Jotunn blinked, scratching his beard. “I think you are remembering that wrong. I don’t remember saying anything like that.”

Lydia glared at him and if looks could kill, she’d have murdered him several times by now. “I distinctly remember you saying those exact words. Right before you vanished for—I don’t even remember how long.”

“It was only a few years.”

She snorted, shaking her head. “‘Only a few years.’ By the Divines, I both hate you now and am happy you are finally home. I can’t decide if I want to hug you again or punch you again.” 

Jotunn grinned. “I have that effect on people, yes.”

Lydia punched his arm. 

Wincing, Jotunn stepped back. “You know, I’m going to have bruises on my arm now thanks to you.”

She smiled innocently. “Good. Maybe then you’ll think twice about disappearing again. Speaking of which, where did you disappear to?”

Jotunn rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s kind of a long story.”

“And you are going to tell me the whole thing. But sitting down because I’m tired of standing in this tight hallway.”

Jotunn groaned in protest but relented when Lydia raised a hand threatening to punch him again. Besides, he figured she deserved at least some type of explanation. Though she probably wouldn’t like it, knowing her.

The two of them went downstairs and sat at the small kitchen table in the corner of the room. Meeko followed them and plopped down at Jotunn’s feet, his tail thumping happily. 

“Alright. Start from the beginning.” Lydia ordered.

Jotunn grinned. “I was born in a quiet cottage out near—.”

“Don’t be an ass.” 

Jotunn laughed and began properly. “Fine. If you must know, I went to Bruma. A couple weeks before I left, I’d heard rumors of someone going around Bruma claiming they’re were the Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild. Which was obviously not true because as you know, I am. So I headed out to Bruma in order to get rid of the imposter. Only the guy had actually gained quite a following, largely because he was actually a fairly skilled thief. So I spent a year undermining his operation. And afterwards, I met up with Karliah who had come to Bruma to investigate the imposter as well.”

Lydia frowned. She already had a good guess as to what happened next. 

“Don’t give me that look. I’m a thief at heart, you know that already.” Jotunn said, giving her a nudge. “Besides, between the civil war and business with the Brotherhood, I hadn’t gotten any good opportunities to have some fun. So me and Karliah have been roaming around Cryodiil stealing from snobby nobles. And before you say it, no I didn’t keep anything I stole. We returned their things after a few days just to let them know how easily their stuff could be taken away. After that, I started my way back home but then I decided I needed some time alone so I camped out in the Jerall mountains for a while. That was a few months ago and when I got bored, I came back here.”

Lydia raised an eyebrow at him. “And what about Karliah? What did she do after Bruma?”

Jotunn shrugged. “Went back to the Sanctuary if I had to guess. I don’t know. I don’t keep tabs on everyone in the Guild; that’s what Brynolf does.”

Lydia squinted at him. “I’m not so sure.”

“About Brynolf? Come on, you’ve met the man. You know how he is.”

“I meant about your story. How do I know you aren’t just making it up again? You  _ have  _ been known to lie to me.” Lydia stated.

Jotunn grinned at her, reaching down to scratch Meeko’s head. “You don’t. But if you are that curious, you can ask Karliah to see if I’m telling the truth.” 

Lydia groaned, relenting. She didn’t like the woman enough to make an effort to ask her. “Whatever. The important thing is that you are finally back. Speaking of which, have you let Balgruf know you’ve returned? I think he’d like to know his famed Thane has come home.”

Jotunn shook his head. “No, not yet. I’ll head up to Dragonsreach tomorrow and speak with him. But I would prefer that no one finds out I’ve returned,” When her eyes went up in question, Jotunn rubbed them back of his neck. “I don’t want everyone freaking out that the famous ‘Dragonborn’ has returned to Skyrim. I want to lay low for a bit and relax without anyone coming to me for help all the time.”

Lydia frowned. “So in other words, now that you’ve returned from your little trip, you want to stay on your ‘trip.’” 

Jotunn clapped his hands. “Exactly!”

She groaned, smacking her forehead. She was starting to wish he had just stayed gone. “Ugh. I’d forgotten how annoying you are.”

He feigned a hurt look. “Oh, now see that? That was just mean.”

Lydia shook her head as she stood up from her chair. “Well while you are enjoying your ‘trip’, I’m going to go and do something about Meeko’s fleas. Come on, boy!” She said, heading out the door. Meeko got up, shook, and followed her happily. 

Jotunn glared after his dog who apparently had fleas again and who most likely just gave him a couple with that shake. He’d have to thoroughly wash himself later to make sure the fleas didn’t spread to him. 

He sighed tiredly. “Well...that could have gone worse.”

At least he was back home. He had missed the old place. 

He looked around, studying his surroundings. It was the same old building it’d always been. And aside from cleaning, Lydia hadn’t changed much of anything about it. Still two floors with a kitchen and an alchemy table downstairs and a master bedroom and guest bedroom upstairs. Simple yet nice. Even though it didn’t have any of his weapons or armor or more expensive things, it was still his. It was why he liked Breezehome so much. 

And while it wasn’t his nicest house or biggest, Breezehome had been his first house. His first real home. It would always hold a special place in his heart. 

Jotunn snickered to himself. He remembered back to when he first bought Breezehome. At the time, it had cost him nearly all of his septims that he’d saved up, plus more to furnish the place. Yet he had never been filled with more pride than when he first opened the door with his key. 

Jotunn stood up and rolled his shoulders. Then he went upstairs and into his room. The bed was made and looked as comfy as it was when he had left. He took his Nightingale armor and carefully laid it out on the small table in the corner of the room. He had already placed his weapons down on the bed before Lydia had found him. Not that he really needed weapons. 

Sighing, he stretched as he lied down on the bed and put his hands behind his head. He was ready for some shut eye. The last few years had taken a lot out of him. And yet, because he had so many titles, there was always something to do. He had to admit, it was nice to do nothing for a change. 

He’d only meant to sleep for a little while but he must have slept longer than intended as he awoke to the smell of something cooking. And whatever it was, smelled amazing.

He rubbed his eyes wearily as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. He smiled as he noticed Meeko’s sleeping form on the floor beside his bed. Careful not to wake him, Jotunn slowly got out of the bed and made his way downstairs. Lydia was at the small cooking pit in the middle of the house, slowly stirring the contents of a pot as it sat above a fire. Every so often, she’d toss in some spices and slivers of cheese. She didn’t look up from her task as he walked over to her.

“Have a nice nap?” She asked.

Jotunn nodded even though she couldn’t see him do it. “Yeah it was nice to sleep in a real bed. I’d almost forgotten what that’s like. What are you making?”

“Dinner.” Lydia said curtly. 

Jotunn snorted and taking the hint, let her be. She was clearly still sour about the days events.  _ She’ll come around. She always does. _

As Jotunn waited for dinner, Meeko slid down the stairs and trotted over to Lydia, sniffing the air. Judging that the food was ready, Lydia carried a bowl over to the pot and scooped out some stew. She then filled another bowl and instead of handing it to Jotunn, she set it down on the floor for Meeko who immediately dug in happily. Jotunn frowned and went over to the pot with a plate of his own. His frown deepened when he realized there was barely enough left for a spoonful. 

“You didn’t leave any for me!” He whined. 

Lydia sneered at him, taking a mouthful of delicious smelling stew. “That’s because I only made enough for me and Meeko. You’re the Dragonborn; you’re perfectly capable of cooking yourself dinner.”

Jotunn scowled. “Ugh. I’ll just go get a bite at the Bannered Mare. Saadia always cooks for me there.”

Lydia grinned. “Jotunn, she cooks for  _ everyone _ at the Mare. It’s her job.”

He grunted and grabbing his cloak, left in a huff for the Bannered Mare. Lydia laughed as the door shut with a little more force than what was necessary. She stared after him, mixing her stew aimlessly. Meeko, finished with his meal, stepped over to her and plopped his head down in her lap as she sat. She smiled and rubbed the top of his head. He panted happily. 

Lydia chuckled. “Yeah, I missed him too. As annoying as he is, he’s alright. Should I tell him the Mare closed an hour ago? Eh, he’ll figure it out eventually.”

  
  



	2. A Fun Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn greets a few old friends and sees a stranger. Is the stranger who he thinks it is?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so there’s a little bit of plot development sprinkled over top of fun in this one

CHAPTER TWO

Lydia had to admit, it was weird having Jotunn back. He’d been gone for so long, she had gotten used to being the only one living at Breezehome. Besides Meeko of course. She kept on having to remind herself that he was back and that there wasn’t some stranger in the house. When she’d come downstairs in the morning and saw him going through one of the chests, she’d almost punched him in the throat before she remembered it was just Jotunn. Which he hadn’t been the biggest fan of. For obvious reasons.

But she wasn’t disappointed that he’d returned. In fact, she was more or less glad to have him back, if not a little annoyed at him. He’d been away for years and now that he was finally back, he acted like he’d never even left. He even had the nerve to complain about her moving things around. And after she  _ did  _ punch him, he quickly stopped complaining. 

As annoying as he was though, she enjoyed having someone else besides Meeko keep her company. Meeko was a wonderful companion but it was nice to have an actual conversation with someone in the house again. Even if that someone was Jotunn. 

She was out taking Meeko on a short walk around the Wind district when she saw Jotunn’s familiar cloak slinking through the buildings, gradually making his way towards Dragonsreach. She shrugged and kept walking. He was probably heading there to tell Balgruuf he was back. As long as he got some provisions for his dinner before he came home. She wasn’t about to cook for him.

Jotunn watched as she and Meeko continued on their walk, waiting until they rounded a corner before he continued to sneak through the alleys. He was trying to reach Dragonsreach without anyone spotting him. And the less people that saw him meant the less people to potentially recognize him. He wanted to keep his return a secret for as long as possible. The longer he could, the longer his vacation would be. 

Sticking to the shadows made by the roofs of the buildings, he moved silently and carefully. Every step he took was calculated and despite having been gone, he still knew the layout of the city like the palm of his hand. And he knew all the good shortcuts as well. 

As he drew near the Temple of Kynareth, he stopped to see if there were any guards walking down the steps of the Cloud district. There wasn’t any at the moment. 

Then he froze as he heard the softest crunch of grass being crushed behind him. And in the blink of an eye, he drew a dagger and spun around, stopping the blade an inch away from the neck of his stalker. 

Aela smiled back at him. She hadn’t even flinched. “You’ve gotten lazy from your time away. You noticed I was following you several buildings back and yet you still let me catch up to you.” She wasn’t wearing her usual Nord armor and had let her red hair grow out more but other than that, it was the same old Aela.

Jotunn grinned as he put away the dagger. “It wouldn’t have been as fun if I hadn’t. How did you know I was in town anyway? Did Saadia tell you?” He knew Lydia would never go back on her word and give him up.

Aela sniffed. “By your scent of course. Who else smells like a dragon?”

“That’s…an excellent point.” 

Aela snickered. “So I take it there’s a good reason why you haven’t made your presence known to the city already?” She asked.

Jotunn nodded. “Yes, there’s a really good reason for that.” He said, checking the steps again. 

“And?” 

“What?” 

Aela groaned. “What’s the reason?”

Jotunn blinked. “Oh, because I’m on an ‘extended vacation.’” 

The huntress shook her head, sniffing disdainfully. “All that time spent away and you haven’t changed a bit,”

Jotunn frowned. “I was only gone for a few years. It wasn’t like I was away for decades.”

Aela sighed. “Well, in any case, I’m glad you are back. You should stop by Jorrvaskr and say hello before our comrades find you too. I’m sure they’ll be glad to see our illustrious leader has returned from his journeys.”

He nodded. “I’ll be sure to do that. Eventually. First, I have to tell Balgruuf I’m back. Otherwise he’ll have my hide.”

Aela snorted with laughter. “That he will. Good luck.” She said before heading off. 

Jotunn looked back at the steps . There was still no guards coming up or down them. The only problem was that if he took them, he’d be exposed to just about anyone near the Gildergreen. So he decided to simply climb the ledges and bypass the steps altogether. He crawled up the ledges like a spider and quickly reached the top of the hill Dragonsreach stood on. Luckily for him, there wasn’t anyone making their rounds by the door at the moment. Seeing his chance, he went around to the side of the keep and stretched. This was going to be as fun as it was dangerous. 

With one last look around to make sure no one could see him, he broke off running. Leaping into the air, he grabbed hold of the end of a beam that was jutting out against the wall. Getting his footing, he carefully began to climb up the side of the keep. After a couple minutes, he reached the roof of the mess hall and looked down. A lone guard was just starting his patrol below him. Jotunn snickered. It was amazing how few guards looked up during their patrols. But then again, Jotunn had found over the years that the majority of people rarely looked up in general. 

Slowly, Jotunn moved over the roof of the mess hall, gripping the rim of the roof for balance as he went. The shingles clattered under his feet but he was too high up for anyone ground level to hear it. 

After nearly fifteen minutes of climbing, he reached his target: the Great Porch. He clamored over the railing and took a second to catch his breath. While he had made this particular climb many times in the past, it was still difficult. 

Jotunn stepped up to the doors leading inside and knelt down beside the lock. He took out his lock picks and set to work. Since no one ever imagined anyone coming into the building from the top, the door was never locked properly so it was an easy pick. Silently, he pushed open the door and stepped inside, locking the door behind him. 

Hearing footsteps, he hurriedly ducked behind a cabinet and waited for the footsteps to recede. With the coast all clear, he made his way over to Balgruff’s quarters. Just as he suspected, the Jarl wasn’ in his room at this time of day. He found a nice spot to settle down and stretched once more. He had a long wait ahead of him.

Jarl Balgruuf yawned as he stepped into his quarters. He had just come from a meeting with Ireleth, Hrongar, Farengar, and Proventus about some recent odd bandit attacks on a few of the smaller settlements on the edge of the hold. There were several murders as well, possibly the work of a new twisted serial killer. He would have to order more guards to be posted on the outskirts of the hold soon. Before the bandits and killer got too out of control. 

Balgruuf groaned, shutting the door behind him and walked over to the table beside his bed. He took off his fur coat and jeweled crown and placed them on the table. 

“Leaving those out is just asking for some thief to steal them. You may as well have put up a sign outside your room that says, ‘Come on in, I keep all my valuables out in the open like an idiot.’”

Balgruuf swung around, already reaching for his sword. He watched as the space beside the door was suddenly filled. A man wearing dark armor seemed to just materialize out of thin air next to the closed door. The man wore a long black cloak around his shoulders and had a cowl masking his face. He didn’t appear to have any weapons on him, but Balgruuf wasn’t about to wait and check. Any other instance and he would have called for his guards instantly, only the intruder’s voice was strangely familiar to him. He hesitated. 

“I’ll give you three seconds to explain what you are doing in my quarters before I cut you down.” Balgruuf growled. 

The stranger sighed as he flipped his cowl off his head. “Shor’s bones, what is it with people threatening me lately? I’m just visiting an old friend of mine; no need to start cutting.”

Balgruuf gasped in realization. The man’s face was that of someone he would never forget. Only there were a few more bags under his eyes than the last time Balgruuf had seen him. “D-Dragonborn?”

The Dragonborn grinned. “Balgruuf, I’ve told you a hundred times, you know my name so use it.”

Balgruuf put his sword away, although he was still in shock. The Dragonborn was the last person he had expected to find in his room. One of his children, sure. Maybe even an assassin. But never the Dragonborn. 

“Jotunn, what are you doing here?” He asked.

Jotunn blinked. “Stopping by for a visit. Did I not just say that?”

“But where have you been these last few years?”

Jotunn shrugged, still grinning. “Oh here and there. I’ve been taking a break. Still am technically. Just got back yesterday. I figured I’d come and say hello, see how things are with you.”

Balgruuf shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. Jotunn had returned after all this time. The timing however, was uncanny. Almost as if the Dragonborn knew about the recent attacks and rumors surrounding them. 

“Not that I’m not glad to see you again old friend, but it’s odd that you return  _ now _ . Then again, you always did have a habit of turning up right when you are needed,” Balgruuf said as he wearily sat at the end of his bed. Jotunn leaned against the wall, fiddling with what looked to be some kind of small stone. “I assume you’ve heard of the recent attacks and murders? People found along the roads completely—.”

Jotunn grunted, giving a nod. “Yes, I’ve heard of them. But that isn’t the reason why I’m here. Like I said, I stopped by to say hello. And to let you know I’m unofficially back. But I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone I’ve returned.”

Balgruuf nodded. “Of course. Are you on some type of secret mission? Is that why you don’t want people to know you are back?”

Jotunn smiled, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously as he tapped the side of his nose. “Something like that.” He moved away from the wall and walked out of the room with Balgruuf following. They went out to the Great Porch. By now, the moons and stars were out. A couple clouds drifted lazily by overhead, briefly hiding one of the moons. 

“I take it Lydia had mixed emotions about your return,” Balgruuf said with a chuckle. “How many times did she hit and hug you?”

Jotunn snickered. “She only hugged me once initially and I wasn’t counting how many times she punched me.”

Balgruuf laughed. “Yeah that sounds like her.”

“Speaking of Lydia, I should probably get back to Breezehome before she starts thinking I left again.” Jotunn said, climbing over the railing and hanging over the side of the keep. 

Balgruuf raised an eye at the other man. “You do realize you can use the front doors instead of risking your neck, right?”

Jotunn grinned. “I know. This way is more fun though.”

The Jarl sighed, but he was grinning too. “If you say so. Just...next time, don’t sneak into my room like that.”

“I have to. That’s part of the fun.” Jotunn said before he let go of the railing and dropped. On his way down, he whispered, “Feim Zii Gron!” 

He landed with a thud, unhurt due to the Shout. And because it was late at night, he didn’t bother to sneak back to Breezehome. He simply walked back, taking the main street through the districts. Right before he reached his door, he noticed an old Orc with an impressive jaw entering through the main gates of the city. The guards nodded a greeting to the old Orc as he passed them. He was wearing brown heavy armor and carried a thin but sturdy looking axe at his side. On his back was a wooden crossbow. 

Jotunn had only seen a couple crossbows in his time but he knew a quality crossbow when he saw one. 

The Orc looked like he was ready for business. 

Jotunn paused before he unlocked the door to Breezehome, watching as the Orc passed him on his way to the inn. The Orc frowned at Jotunn suspiciously at first and tensed up. But he calmed down once Jotunn brought out his key. Jotunn hummed thoughtfully. _I wonder if he’s what I think he is._ _He_ does _match the description Karliah gave me after all._

He smiled politely at the Orc who finally relaxed fully. Like Jotunn’s smile had rid him of any suspicion. 

Jotunn grunted as the Orc walked away and unlocked the door. He stepped inside Breezehome and locked the door behind him. He turned around and instantly ducked as a knife embedded itself in the door where his head had been just seconds ago. “Hey, Lydia. It’s me.” He said calmly. 

Lydia, who was sitting at the dining table, cursed and hurried over to him. “Shit! I’m sorry! I’m still getting used to having you back and I thought you were someone breaking in again.” She said, pulling the knife out of the door and bowing her head to apologize.

Jotunn chuckled. “Clearly. No harm done though. I’d have only gotten angry if you had actually nailed me to the door. The bloodstains would be hard to get out.”

Lydia rolled her eyes and went back to the table. She propped her feet up on a stool and leaned back in her chair. “So did you get yourself some food for dinner? Like I told you to do?”

Jotunn’s demeanor sank. “Damn it! I  _ knew  _ I was forgetting something!”

Lydia laughed. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised he had forgotten. 

“Ugh. I’ll be back.” 

Lydia snickered. “Don’t bother. No store is open this time of night. Luckily for you, Meeko wasn’t that hungry tonight so there’s still some stew left.”

Jotunn frowned at her. “Gee, thanks.”

“You are welcome.” She said cheerfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be more plot and action happy than fun banter happy. Until next time:)  
> Oh and I will try to post at least a couple chapters each month as I’m working on several stories at the moment. But hopefully, I’ll be able to post more as I get into the rhythm. That’s the idea at least haha. Thoughts on Jotunn’s character so far? I’m curious


	3. A Stranger Kills Some Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Durak, a vampire hunter/Dawnguard recruiter is stopped by a stranger. Who then has a chat with some other strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty then, this chapter has some action and violence in it just FYI. I’m quite proud of how it turned out too

CHAPTER THREE

Durak growled in disappointment, shrugging his crossbow off his shoulder as he sat down at a table in the local tavern. Placing his crossbow onto the table, he nodded to one of the serving girls. She caught his eye and smiled from across the room. Her way of telling him she’d get to him eventually. 

He grunted. Then reached for the apples that were gathered in a bowl in the middle of the table. Taking a bite of one, he scanned the room. He was the only Orc in the establishment but that was nothing new. Two warriors were having a drink together on the other side of the room: an old man and a woman with ginger hair. He’d already asked them but they had both laughed, calling him a fool. And besides them, there was no one else in this open city that had the potential. He’d ask the Companions but he already knew they too, would laugh at him. And everyone else was either a committed guard, a stuck up noble, or a farmer. He thought about asking the retired mercenary, Amren, but after seeing the man with his daughter, he decided otherwise. He had no desire to take a man away from his family, even for a cause as just as his.

A day spent in this city, asking around. And he had nothing to show for his efforts. It seemed that the great city of Whiterun had no good volunteers to give. Durak growled to himself once more. Maybe he’d try Falkreath next. There had to be at least one potential recruit to be found in a battle hardened place such as Falkreath. And if not then he’d keep looking. The Dawnguard needed more good men and women and it needed them now. 

Durak searched the room again and found that the serving girl had moved on to another table to serve some noble. Snorting disdainfully, he stood up to leave and grabbed his crossbow. He’d try the Drunken Huntsman. Maybe the elf there wouldn’t mind serving an Orc a drink. 

Durak left the noisy tavern and let the door slam shut behind him. He gazed up at the night sky. A cloudless night. He grunted.  _ Good. More moonlight. _

As it was fairly late out, there weren't many people roaming about. A drunkard and beggar here and there only. And the city guards making their usual rounds. Besides the noise from the Mare, he could hear howls of laughter coming from Jorrvaskr. Other than that, all was quiet in the night. But these days, that didn’t always mean it was safe. 

He started walking down the road towards the Huntsman, hoping it was still open. He had had a long day and simply wanted a nice refreshing drink. That would raise his spirits. If only for a little while.

He was passing the general goods store when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cloaked figure standing against the side of the building. Whoever it was, they had their face covered in a black mask. 

With a shrug, Durak took his crossbow off of his shoulder and aimed it at the masked figure. He always kept the bolt cocked and ready, just for special occasions like this one. 

“Who are you? Show your face!” Durak barked, his finger placed on the trigger mechanism. 

The figure was still aside from the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. 

“Final warning.” Durak growled. 

After a couple seconds had passed, the stranger finally moved, slowly removing his mask. With a jolt, Durak recognized the stranger as the man he’d seen entering the tiny house near the front gates the night before. As he remembered, the man had had sharp looking teeth and but no pointed ones nor had he glowing eyes. But it then dawned on him that he hadn’t seen this man since then. And Durak had been just about everywhere in the city during the day so he would have definitely seen this man before now. 

Which meant one of two things. Either this stranger was an extremely introverted person or he was…”

“A vampire?” The stranger said. Durak scowled, keeping both his guard and his crossbow up as the man gave a toothy grin. “That’s probably what I’d be thinking I was if I were you right now. But no, I’m not a vampire so you can put that crossbow down now.”

“And if you aren’t a vampire then what are you?” Durak asked suspiciously. 

The stranger chuckled. “I’m much worse than a vampire, that’s what I am.” 

Durak l’a eyes narrowed as he took the time to study the human. He had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes that twinkled in the moonlight. Scars littered his face, evidence of either good luck or an affinity for not ducking. He wore strange dark armor that had a cloak attached to it. An ebony dagger was at his side as well as an ebony sword and he held that somewhat creepy looking mask in his hands. 

“Who are you?” Durak asked, but the man ignored the question. 

“So you’ve had a busy day asking everyone to join your crusade, huh? Must be disappointing not to find anyone willing to go with a complete stranger and fight monsters in the night.”

Durak sniffed disdainfully and lowered his crossbow. It looked like this man was just going to make fun of him too. But he didn’t have to stand there and listen to the man. He turned to walk away but stopped at the human’s next words.

“You’re a vampire hunter, aren’t you?” When Durak didn’t reply, the man continued. “But you aren’t just some random warrior with a vendetta against vampires, no, you’re a recruiter. Which means you are apart of a bigger organization. Which makes you a recruiter for the Dawnguard. Am I right?”

Durak growled. “Yes. I am.”

The stranger grinned, clapping his hands together. “Ha! I knew it! My next question is this: why are you looking for new recruits? Found a big nest of them, have you?”

Durak peered curiously at the man. “Who are you? I find it odd that you know more than your fellow citizens.”

The man chuckled. “Me? I’m no one, really. I just know a lot of people, keep my ear to the ground, that sort of thing. And you didn’t answer my question.”

If one thing was clear to Durak, it was that this man was not what he said he was. The man’s overly cheerful and inquisitive nature was practically screaming at Durak to be very careful when dealing with the man. 

With a deep breath, Durak said, “The vampire menace is growing. And if you don’t believe me then you aren’t...what are you..?” Durak stopped talking, noticing that the stranger’s attention was no longer on him. Instead, the man had turned his head to look at the main gate. A small group of maybe seven people had entered and were now looking around, having stopped in the middle of the street. A couple were staring at the stranger’s house. And they all wore strange but familiar robes. 

_ Those are… _

“If you’ll excuse me. I have some unwelcome house guests to attend to.” The stranger said, putting his mask back on before seeming to melt away into what little shadows there was. 

Cursing, Durak raised his crossbow and moved towards the vampires. As he watched, the two vampires looking at the stranger’s house shimmered and went invisible. Durak couldn’t focus on them when he had no way of seeing where they had went so he decided to try and take down a couple with his crossbow before the majority realized he knew what they were. 

But as he aimed, the two blood suckers that had gone invisible suddenly came back into sight. One was clutching their neck as blood poured out from a wound. Gurgling, the vampire went down and dissolved into a pile of ash. The other one materialized with a look of surprise plastered across her face and a long gash cutting down the middle of her chest. She too, fell down dead and dissolved. 

By this time, the other vampires had realized their surprise attack had already been foiled. Hissing, they grouped together, each facing a direction with weapons at the ready. Durak groaned, debating what he should do next. He couldn’t very well charge them by himself. Not with them grouped up as they were; it would be suicide to try. And the only backup he had was maybe a couple guards on the other side of the gate if the vampires hadn’t already killed them and whatever had killed two of the fiends. 

As it turned out, he didn’t have to decide. 

Another of the vampires cried out, and fell, holding his innards in his hands. The vampire closest to the one that fell jumped in an attempt to get away from their unknown assailant but it was too late. His head was suddenly sliced clean off, his blood splattering across the stone street. At this point, the remaining vampires were scared. They had just witnessed half of their number slain within moments. 

One of them, feeling brave, broke off from the group and ran at Durak, shouting a war cry. Durak, turned his crossbow and aimed at the charging vampire. He let the bolt fly and cursed as he realized he’d underestimated the beast’s speed. The vampire jumped out of the projectiles way and quickly closed the gap between them. Durak cursed, dropping the crossbow and reached for his axe. Springing it out of its holster, Durak raised it, ready to meet the fiend in battle. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other two remaining vampires fighting someone but he couldn’t quite see who. 

As his attacking vampire reached him, Durak lunged forward, bringing his axe down in a powerful stroke. The vampire sidestepped and clawed Durak’s chest, sneering at him as he stumbled backwards from the force of the blow. Regaining his balance, Durak roared and learning from his mistake, made a more direct approach, thrusting his axe out towards the vampire’s own chest. His axe struck the vampire and it snarled, reaching for its own blade. Durak parried the oncoming strike, his axe catching the vampire’s sword as it cut down at him. Their weapons locked together and they struggled, each trying to gain the upper hand. Only the vampire had increased strength. Strength that was now slowly pushing back the Orc’s. 

Durak strained, quickly coming to the realization that if he didn’t act fast, he would lose this fight. He twisted his axe, hoping the action would catch the vampire off balance. It did not. The vampire took the opportunity to wrench Durak’s axe out of his grip and knock it several feet away. Durak growled as he fell to his knees defenseless before the vampire. He stared down death as the creature raised its sword up to give the killing blow. He stared, unblinking. He had fought well and fought for a long time. But now, he was ready to join his wives. 

And as the fiend raised his weapon, Durak heard an almost deafening shout pierce the night. 

“WULD NAH KEST!!”

A gust of wind washed over Durak and the blood sucker. Durak watched as the vampire coughed up blood as another sword suddenly appeared, sliding through his chest. There was a clatter as the vampire dropped his sword and let his arms dangle weakly at his side. The vampire stared down at the ebony sword in his chest, almost confused as to how it got there. With one last hiss, it crumpled to ashes. 

Wide eyed, Durak stared up at the stranger who replaced his sword in its scabbard. No. The man was no longer a stranger. Durak knew who he was. After what he had just witnessed and heard, there was no doubt in Durak’s mind as to who this man was. And as the townsfolk began to flood out of their homes, surprised and hopeful that they had indeed heard what they had just heard, the reality of the situation sunk in. Durak had just been saved. Saved by a legend. 

A crowd of people gathering, the man took off his black mask. His armor was drenched in vampire blood. And he was frowning. 

The crowd of people all stared at him, whispering amongst themselves as he extended a hand and helped Durak up. Durak swallowed. “D-Dragonborn.” 

Jotunn groaned as the crowd of onlookers began to cheer. They had all heard his Shout. And he knew half of them personally so there was no way he could pretend he hadn’t been the one to Shout. He had only done so in order to reach the Orc in time. In the rush of battle, he’d used his Thu’um without thinking and now the citizens of Whiterun knew he had returned. And it was only a matter of time before all of Skyrim learned the news. 

Jotunn caught a glimpse of Lydia stepping out of Breezehome, sword in hand in case he needed her. He caught her eye and he could have sworn she was grinning. He sniffed. She’d probably been hoping something like this would happen. 

As the crowd cheered, completely disregarding the bloody bodies of the dead vampires, Jotunn frowned. He didn’t know which was worse: the fact that the world would soon know he’d come back or the fact that the vampire menace the Orc had been talking about had reached his front door. A menace that would most likely require his help in order to quell. 

Jotunn groaned again.  _ Well, shit. There goes my break. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And in case you are wondering, Jotunn used the Shadowcloak of Nocturnal during that fight (with some tweaks). The next few chapters should officially start the Dawnguard plot. Anyway, let me know tour thoughts so far! And as always, until next time:)


	4. Time for a Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn chats with Durak and heads off on a trip to Fort Dawnguard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is on the shorter side and jumps around a bit as well as is dialogue heavy but the next few chapters should be longer and straightforward

CHAPTER FOUR

“Meet me at the Honningbrew Meadery tomorrow. We can finish our chat there.” Jotunn said to Durak before he turned to the crowd that was quickly becoming larger. As well as converging on him, everyone talking all at once. Jotunn, as a general rule, wasn’t particularly fond of big crowds. Unless they were all distracted by someone else and had pockets overflowing with coin. Then he loved them. 

But after the night’s activities, he was in a bit of a sour mood and only wanted to sink into his bed and get some sleep. Something that would be impossible to do if the crowd got any rowdier. 

Since people now knew he had returned, there wasn’t any point in trying to stay quiet. So thinking quickly, Jotunn shouted, “TIID KLO UL!” And smiled to himself. It never ceased to amuse him, watching as the Shout did it’s job and make everything around him slow down. The Shout never stopped time completely but it slowed it down enough so that he was able to easily move through the crowd as the people continued to gather, albeit slowly. Within seconds, Jotunn had slipped out from the crowd and walked to Breezehome. On his way, he gently steered Lydia back inside and locked the door. Moments later, the Shout’s effects wore off and time flowed normally once more. 

Lydia jumped, confused as to how she had been outside one second and inside the house the next. Then realization struck her and she turned towards Jotunn who was already taking his cloak off. “You used the Slow Time Shout again, didn’t you?”

Jotunn grinned at her. “Well I didn’t see any reason not to now that Skyrim knows I’m back,” He said, cautiously looking out one of the windows. “Besides, it’s funny seeing their reactions to me ‘vanishing’ in front of their eyes like that.”

Lydia sighed as she sat down by the table. Jotunn stepped away from the window as the people outside began to search for him. Surprisingly enough, only a few people glanced over at Breezehome. Almost like the majority of them had forgotten it was one of his properties. 

He joined Lydia at the table, doing his best to ignore her questioning gaze. He’d have just gone upstairs to bed without explaining anything, but that would have only served to make her mad and not mildly annoyed. Jotunn had learned very early not to get her mad. Or to keep her in the dark for too long. 

Her questioning gaze turned into an expecting one. He cleared his throat. “So apparently, there’s a rising vampire problem going around. The other night as I was coming home from the keep, I saw a vampire hunter so today, I spent my time shadowing him to see what he was doing in the city. Turns out he’s recruiting for a vampire hunting group called the Dawnguard. We were having a chat before a bunch of vampires strolled on through the front gates. So I killed them but had to shout in order to save the hunter’s life. Oh, and I’m going to go finish my conversation with the guy tomorrow and try and learn more about this problem...Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lydia shook her head, smiling at him. “You haven’t been back for a couple days and you’re already being swept into a new problem. Always stepping in to help with everyone’s problems like the hero you are.”

Jotunn grinned. “Well I  _ am  _ the Dragonborn. Helping people is kind of part of the job. I only wish I got paid more for it.”

Lydia snickered. “And make it so that you don’t have to explore old ruins and caves in order to earn a living? Perish the thought!”

The two laughed and Jotunn got up, said his good nights and then headed up to his room, leaving Lydia alone at the table. She watched him go, still chuckling. It was in moments like this when she would think back on her relationship with Jotunn. They had always been close since the moment Balgruuf assigned her to be his housecarl. Jotunn was a good friend and she counted him as her closest friend, despite all of her teasing. And at one point, it had looked like they would become more than just friends. But Lydia had nipped that in the bud before it became too emotional. She hadn’t wanted to be that close to Jotunn. And even now, she didn’t think she could handle being that close to him. Jotunn lived a crazy life and it was hard enough being a housecarl for him. 

Yet she couldn’t deny the simple fact that she enjoyed his company. And although he had his difficulties, he’d always be a good man in her eyes. Annoying and childish at times, but still a good person. Even if he smelled like wet dog most of the time. 

She smiled as she thought about Jotunn.

Meeko, who had been slumped down on his side under the stairs, sniffed and lifted his head to stare at her. Lydia met his eyes and snorted. “Don’t even start with me, Meeko.”

Jotunn looked up at the Honningbrew Meadery. Maven had been smart and hadn’t changed the name. This way she could sell both Honningbrew mead as well as Black-Briar mead out from Whiterun. Twice the income coming in for her. And while Jotunn had never been a huge fan of her, he had to respect her intelligence and business sense. 

He’d chosen Honningbrew as a place to meet with Durak mainly because there wouldn’t be a crowd of people there. Plus, Honningbrew mead was great. 

Shrugging off his cowl, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the building. Just as he thought, it wasn’t busy. Durak was sitting in the corner, picking at his teeth with a knife. The bartender was cleaning a glass with a rag. 

As Jotunn entered, the two looked up from what they were doing. Durak stood up quickly but Mallus just gave a grunt as he recognized the newcomer. 

“Mallus.” Jotunn said with a nod.

Mallus grunted. “Been a while. Need to sell some special items or are you here to buy something for once?”

Jotunn gave a smirk. “Need to take care of another skeever problem?”

Mallus rolled his eyes and began to clean another glass. Jotunn snickered and walked over to the storage room, gesturing for Durak to follow. The Orc eagerly did, asking if it was okay to be there. 

Jotunn grinned at the old Orc. “It’s fine. Mallus and I go way back. We used to do business together,” He reached a small table on the far side of the room and sat down, propping his feet up against one of the many wooden railings. Durak sat down across from him, a little nervous to be sitting with the Dragonborn. 

“So. Last night was eventful, huh.”

Durak nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Speaking of, thank you again for helping. That would have been potentially disastrous had you not been there. Those blood suckers would have killed me and maybe even the whole city. Can I buy you a round as thanks?”

Jotunn laughed. “Clearly you haven’t seen the Companions fight then.”

Durak blinked. “They fight? All I’ve seen them do is drink throw the occasional drunken punch.”

Jotunn nodded. “Yes, but when they’re sober, they’re a miniature army. Anyway, you can repay me with information. I want to know about this ‘vampire menace’ you mentioned.”

Durak frowned. “You’ve seen them attack a major city. How much more convincing do you need?”

Jotunn sighed. “Just give me the details. Tell me what you know. I’ve been...away on business so I’m out of the loop as it were.”

Durak sniffed, crossing his arms. “There’s not much to tell. Vampires have been increasing their attacks on the people of Skyrim in the years following your disappearance. It started out as a few small attacks on a traveling merchant here or a farmer there. But recently, the fiends have begun targeting communities, such as small settlements on the edges of the holds. Last night was the first time to my knowledge that they’ve attacked a major city. The worrying part though, is that they’re organized. These attacks aren’t random; there might be a leader directing them. As for the Dawnguard, we’re the only ones that seem to care. So we’re taking the fight to them, rooting them out in their dark holes. But in order to cause real damage, we need more manpower. Thus, my reason for recruiting.”

Jotunn listened quietly, absorbing all the new information. He wondered if the vampires had been waiting for him to leave or die, waiting for their opportunity. Had they have started these attacks before he left, chances are he would have looked into the problem and killed them all. 

_ No matter. They’ve got my attention now after last night. The rest of my break will have to wait. _

“And where is the Dawnguard? You must have some base of operations. Otherwise you’re all just walking around killing vampires by yourself. Which as fun as that is, doesn’t accomplish much in the grand scheme of things.”

Durak nodded. “We aren’t some welps trying their hand at war. For we  _ are  _ at war. We hold down Fort Dawnguard, east of Riften. Isran, our leader, has rebuilt it and turned it into the proper fortress it was meant to be.”

Jotunn grunted as he stood up. 

“If you plan on joining up, talk to Isran. He’ll be sure to give you something to do.” Durak hurried to say.

Jotunn gave a smirk. He had no intention of joining anything. He could probably just fix this vampire mess by himself, honestly. He’d done crazier things. 

“Maybe. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some hunting of my own to start.”

“Oh, no. You aren’t sneaking off again without me. Not this time.” Lydia said sternly from behind Jotunn. Jotunn froze, his hand partway to the front door handle. He winced. He had hoped to slip out without her noticing. 

Jotunn slowly turned around and gave her his most flattering smile. “Hiya Lydia! Fancy meeting you here! I was just um...going to get some food?”

Lydia stared at him, unblinking. She snorted. “Is that why you need your armor and weapons?”

Jotunn nodded almost too enthusiastically. “R-right, of course! It can be really dangerous going to the market. You know that.”

Lydia crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “Uh-huh. Well if that’s the case then I’m coming too. I’ve been cooped up in this city for too long; I want to go on an adventure.”

Jotunn sighed, giving up the lie. Which she clearly saw right through. In hindsight, he should have just told her he was going out hunting. That at least would have explained his equipment. 

“That won’t be necessary, really. It’ll just be a quick journey to Riften. I have some business to attend to.”

Lydia raised a questioning eyebrow. “Is that so? This isn’t going to be another ‘I’ll be back faster than you can swing a sword’ instance, is it? Because if it is, so help me Talos, I will wring your neck up like a towel and leave you to rot in the sun.”

Jotunn swallowed. “Colorful description. But no, it’s not going to be like last time. I suspect I’ll only be gone for a month or so. Two at the most. Like I said, I have some business in Riften that requires my attention and once I’m done with it, I’ll head right back here. Promise.” He said with a grin. 

Lydia thought for a moment before snorting once more and relaxed. “Fine. But if two months have passed and you still aren’t home, I’m going to drag you back by your ear.”

Jotunn laughed. “That seems fair. Take care of Meeko for me.”

Lydia rolled her eyes but she was smiling. “I always do. Good luck with your business.” She learned long ago not to ask about his ‘business’. It usually involved either killings or thievery and wasn’t worth getting involved. Especially if it was Riften he was going to.

Jotunn gave her another grin and left. But before he left the city, he paid a visit to Jorrvaskr. He had a favor to ask. Or more like a warning.

As he neared the hall, the members of the Circle all exited the building to greet him. Being werewolves, they had smelled him coming. Jotunn smiled a greeting as Farkas hurried up to heartily shake his hand. Vilkas and Aela stood back, both smiling. 

“Dragonborn! It’s good to see you, brother!” Farkas said happily. 

Jotunn grinned. “You too, Farkas. Vilkas, how are you?”

Vilkas smiled. “I’m fine if a little bored. Heard we missed a good fight last night.” He meant it literally. The three of them had definitely heard all the commotion. 

Aela nodded. “Yeah, I wish you had left a few of the bastards for us. It’s been too long since we had a  _ real  _ fight.”

Jotunn scratched the back of his head. “About that…”

Vilkas snickered. “Let me guess: you want us on guard duty.”

Jotunn frowned. “How did you..?”

Aela laughed. “Come now, Jotunn. We aren’t fools. Why else would you come here dressed for battle if you weren’t going after the vampires? Which means you want us to be on the lookout for any more vampires that might try their luck in the city. Don’t worry, the second we smell the bastards, we’ll rush to chase them out.”

Jotunn smiled and nodded. “Thanks you guys. I should be back in a couple months and when I am, drinks are on me.”

Farkas chuckled, slapping Jotunn’s back. “They always are!”

Jotunn winced. Farkas’ slap could knock out a troll. “And keep an eye on Lydia and Meeko for me, please. Not that they need it of course, but I’d feel better knowing they have some backup.”

Vilkas winked at him. “Will do.”

Jotunn turned around to leave but stopped when Aela said, “And Jotunn.” He turned back around and looked at her questioningly. 

Aela gave a toothy smile. “Happy hunting.”

Jotunn grinned back and took his leave. On his way out of the city’s gates, he grunted, thinking to himself. 

_ Should I have asked Durak exactly how far east of Riften Fort Dawnguard is? Eh. I’ll figure it out. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See if you can spot my little hints in there about something haha. Anyway let me know what you think of this story so far! And as always, until next time:)


	5. Charming Weather and Bandits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn comes across some bandits on his way to Fort Dawnguard and learns about Dimhollow Crypt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter is a little on the short side I admit. See if you can spot my little hints to something ;)

CHAPTER FIVE

Scowling, Jotunn pulled his cloak tighter around his body, trudging along the flooded road. Storm clouds surged overhead, dumping buckets of water down on top of him, making the already muddy road, that much muddier. He shivered as some cold drops found their way past his hood and fell down the nape of his neck. 

His Nightingale armor was fantastic at helping him remain unseen and quiet, but did absolutely nothing to keep the rain off him. 

It had started raining almost as soon as he got over the bridge last Honningbrew Meadery, with no sign of letting up anytime soon. Which was a great sign for the long journey ahead of him. 

If it had just been rain, he would have been fine. He could deal with a little rain. What he couldn’t deal with was the wind that whipped around him, stinging him mercilessly. And because it was so windy, it made the rain worse so the experience was made worse. Although, he should have been expecting such weather as he  _ was  _ still in Whiterun. 

He had thought about calling for Shadowmere, but ultimately decided against it. That horse was snobbish even without riding in the rain. Plus, Jotunn really didn’t feel like being bucked off into the mud. He’d had Shadowmere for years and you’d think he would have formed a good rapport with the steed but no. Shadowmere had a temper that rivaled that of Lydia’s and so Jotunn always tried not to test it. 

So for now, he walked. 

Eventually, he reached Valtheim Towers, taking off his mask as he drew near. When he was about twenty feet from the first tower, an arrow whizzed past his head and embedded itself in the mud behind him. Instead of flinching, Jotunn sighed. 

“Give us everything you have! Now! Or the next arrow will be through your heart!” A voice sounded above the rain. 

Bandits. Just as Jotunn expected. Valtheim Towers was a popular spot for bandit groups in the area to hold. Especially since the towers were on a main road, where loads of travelers used every day. It was easy pickings. If the pickings didn’t fight back that is.

Luckily for these bandits however, Jotunn wasn’t planning on fighting. 

He turned to face the direction the arrow and voice had come from. About a third of the way across the bridge connecting the two towers, he could faintly make out the silhouette of the archer through the rain. More people were joining the archer and he was willing to bet good coin that there were more in the towers. 

“I would advise you all to let me pass!” He shouted up at the bandits. “I’d rather not have another blood bath if I can help it.”

Laughter rang out from the bridge. “Just give us your money and then we’ll let you go. This is your only chance!”

Jotunn rolled his eyes.  _ Funny. I was going to say that to you. _

And with that, he shouted towards the archer.

“FUS!” With only one word, the archer was shoved backwards and off the bridge. The archer gave out a cry, screaming on the way down. And then his scream stopped abruptly. 

It was silent for a moment, with the only sound being made was from the rain pelting the ground. And then the bandits all roared in fury, cursing his name as the Dragonborn as they charged at him. Jotunn let out a small chuckle as he unsheathed his swords. They were either the dumbest band of marauders or the bravest. He shrugged, partially to stretch.  _ Either way, they’ll be dead soon so I guess it doesn’t really matter if they’re brave or stupid. _

The first of the bandits reached him. A woman wearing leather armor and carrying an axe. She must have been guarding the door to the tower on his side of the valley. 

Jotunn raised his swords at the last second and caught the axe blade in between them, locking the axe in place. With one sweep of his leg, she fell and Jotunn brought his sword across her neck. Rising, he broke off at a sprint to reach the tower and get out of view of any other potential archers. He kicked open the door to the tower and ran up the stairs. Halfway up, a Khajiit went through the door at the top of the stairs and ran to meet him. Jotunn ducked under the Khajiit’s sword and brought his own sword forward, piercing the bandit’s side. The Khajiit clutched his bleeding side and fell down the rest of the stairs. Jotunn reached the top and stepped out onto the wooden walkway leading up to the second story. Seeing a flicker of movement across the small valley, he instinctively dropped, narrowly missing an arrow coming from another archer. The moment the arrow bounced off the wall beside him and fell into the ravine, Jotunn was off once more, running up the walkway and onto the stone bridge. He replaced one of his swords in its sheath and feeling the familiar tingle magic caused, a ball of fire formed in his hand. The archer on the other side of the valley saw this and fumbled, hastily trying to nock another arrow to the string of his bow. It was too late as Jotunn’s fireball was already on its way. The fireball kept burning on its way, despite the rain. It struck the archer square in the face and the man screamed in agony as the flames ate away at his flesh. 

Jotunn turned his attention to three tougher looking bandits that were rushing over the bridge. Two wore iron armor and carried swords. The third had on steel armor and had a battle axe in his hands.  _ He must be the leader. _

Jotunn cursed under his breath. The bridge was narrow so he wouldn’t have a lot of space to maneuver, plus he didn’t have a shield on him; he always thought lugging around a shield was too much of an annoyance so he never bothered traveling with one. A shield would have come in handy on this bridge. 

He shrugged. The three bandits roared as they rushed him. When they were maybe twenty feet or so away, Jotunn inhaled deeply. And exhaled with a Thu’um. The bandits were nicely lined up for him. 

“YOL TOOR SHUL!” The Shout turned his breath to fire and searing hot flames engulfed the three bandits. Like the archer, they screamed in pain as the intense flames quickly melted through their armor and burned away their skin. It was so hot that in the space around them, the raindrops actually evaporated before they landed. One of the bandits leaped off the bridge and fell down to the ground below in a desperate act to stop the pain. And the other two collapsed as they were burnt alive. 

Jotunn sniffed and sheathed his sword while he extinguished the fire in his hand, content that there were no more bandits nearby. 

After looting their bodies for any loose coin, Jotunn continued on his way, putting his mask back on and pulling up his cowl. He grunted.

_ If the rain keeps up the rest of the day, I might have to use Clear Skies. There’s no way I’m hiking during the night  _ and  _ in the rain.  _

It took him about a week and a half to reach Riften and another two days for his contacts to find out where Fort Dawnguard was. He’d spent those two days in town buying more supplies and catching up with his friends in the Ragged Flagon. With two ears to the ground, he found the general area the fort was and had set off to start his search. Eventually, he found a cave entrance that he would have missed entirely if he wasn’t looking for it. The entrance was just a cave mouth in the side of a mountain. The only indication that it was an entrance to the fort was a torch sconce and the Dawnguard’s small symbol etched into the rock face. Honestly, if he hadn’t been on the lookout, he most likely would have just walked right past it without ever noticing it. And as he stood in front of the cave entrance, he sniffed. If this really was the entrance to the supposedly famous fort, then he was a little disappointed it wasn’t more of a spectacle. 

Shrugging to himself, he slipped through the crack that was the entrance, pausing for a second to let his eyes adjust to the sudden darkness. Once they did, he moved forward. The cave turned out to be a straight tunnel that led him about a hundred feet before he came out of the rock. As he exited the tunnel, he heard the sound of several waterfalls. He stepped out and snorted in surprise. He was in a large canyon of some sort. Waterfalls dropped down into a small lake and birch trees sprang out of the ground, reaching for the sky. Standing beside the lake was a young man with bright blonde hair. He wore simple farmer’s clothing and had an iron axe at his side. The man jumped when he saw Jotunn. Jotunn didn’t blame the man. He imagined he looked quite intimidating wearing his Nightingale armor. 

“Oh, hey there! You here to join the Dawnguard too?” The man after he recovered from his initial shock. Jotunn said nothing. Largely because what other reason would he be there?

“Truth is, I’m a little nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before. I hope you don’t mind if I walk up with you?”

Jotunn was glad that he still had his mask on, otherwise, the other man would have definitely seen him barely contain a chuckle. The man was a wet nosed recruit if he ever saw one. The most dangerous thing he’d probably fought was a wolf. 

The man extended a hand and Jotunn shook it, although quickly. “I’m Agmaer by the way.”

Jotunn nodded. “Jotunn.”

Luckily for Jotunn, most people only knew him as the Dragonborn and not as Jotunn, otherwise he was sure the other man would have freaked out at hearing his name. 

As the two started to walk along the dirt path, Agmaer cleared his throat. “Hey, uh, don’t tell Isran I was afraid to meet him by myself. Not the best first impression for a new vampire hunter, I guess.”

Jotunn grunted. It probably wasn’t. 

“You've probably killed loads of vampires, huh? I’m sure Isran will sign you right up. Not sure he’ll take me though. I hope so.”

“I’ve killed a few, yeah.” Jotunn lied. He’d killed countless vampires during his travels of course, but he wasn’t going to tell the young man that; it would come as quite a shock.

They soon rounded a bend and were greeted by a large stone tower built into the mountainside. Openings for archers lined the top of the tower, a good indication that whoever built it knew what they were doing. Anyone manning the windows would be able to see anyone that came around the bend and would likely be able to shoot at anyone too. But the tower was only one of many that surrounded the main fort, which was also built into the mountain. It loomed over them, daring them to try and sack it. Wooden ramparts were built along the walls for extra sentries. Jotunn could see one such sentry watching them approach. 

“This must be it.” Agmaer said as they passed through the main gates. “Fort Dawnguard. Wow. Bigger than I expected. Where is everybody? This place looks almost deserted.” 

Jotunn pursed his lips. He had been thinking the same thing. If not for the sentry on the ramparts, the entire place looked like it hadn’t been occupied in years. 

_ I guess it’s still in early development. Even still, it seems defensible enough. Could do with some more lookouts though. _

They made their way to the front gates where a man in Dawnguard armor nodded to them. “New recruits, huh? Well let’s see if Isran likes you or not. He’s just inside.”

Jotunn grinned and led the way inside, throwing open the large doors and walking into a large rotunda. Several hallways and other rooms led into this circular one. Up above was another story with a spiked railing. Grates made a circle in the center of the room and Jotunn wondered what their purpose was. In the middle of the room were two men. They had been deep in conversation and when Jotunn threw open the doors, they both had stopped to look at the newcomer before going back to their conversation. One was clearly a member of the Dawnguard, with a huge war hammer on his back. The man was bald and yet, had an impressive beard. The other man wore padded robes and had a battle axe. A battle priest if Jotunn had to guess. 

Jotunn moved over towards the wall and leaned against it casually, listening to what was being said. Agmaer waited nervously by the doors. 

“Why are you here, Talon?” The bald man said in a gruff voice. “The Vigilants and I were finished with each other a long time ago.”

Talon clenched his fists. “You know why I’m here. The Vigilants are under attack everywhere. The vampires are much more dangerous than we believed.” 

The bald man snorted. “And now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it? I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense and manpower to repair. And now that you’ve stirred up the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?”

Talon took a step forward. “Isran, Carcette is dead. The Hall of the Vigilants...everyone...they’re all dead. You were right, we were wrong. Isn’t that enough for you?”

Jotunn sniffed.  _ Ah, so this baldy here is Isran. _

Isran’s tone softened, but only slightly. “Yes, well, I never wanted any of this to happen. I tried to warn all of you...I am sorry, you know.”

Jotunn yawned, stretching, deciding he had been waiting long enough. The yawn drew Isran’s attention and he eyed Jotunn warily. “So Who are you? What do you want? Besides a lesson in manners.”

Jotunn walked over to the two men and grinned. “Name is Jotunn. As for what I want, well, I heard you are looking for vampire hunters.”

Isran scowled. “And what makes you think you’re qualified? You look more like a thief than a warrior.”

Jotunn tapped the side of his nose. “Because hunting great dangerous beasts is sort of a hobby of mine. Now can we skip ahead to the part where you tell me what I can do to help? Or at least just point me in the direction of vampire hideout or two. Oh and Durak couches for me, if that helps.”

Isran frowned and grunted in annoyance. “Ugh. Fine. If Durak vouched for you then you at least know how to fight. And that’s something we need right now. I need some out out in the field, taking the fight to the damn vampires, while we’re getting the fort back into shape...Talon was telling me about some cave the Vigilants were poking around in. Seemed to think it was related to these recent vampire attacks. Talon, tell smartass over here about, what was it, Dimhollow Crypt?”

Talon nodded. “Yes, that’s it. Dimhollow Crypt. Brother Adelvold was sure it held some long lost vampire artifact of some kind. We didn’t listen to him any more we did Isran. He was at the hall...when it was attacked.”

Isran crossed his arms. “That’s good enough for me. Go see what the vampires were looking for in the crypt. With any luck, they’ll still be there.”

Talon rolled his shoulders in anticipation. “And I’ll meet you at Dimhollow. It’s the least I can do to avenge my fallen comrades.”

Isran winced, shaking his head. “Talon, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You Vigilants were never trained for—.”

“I know what you think of us.” Talon cut him off. “You think we’re soft, that we’re cowards. You think our deaths proved our weakness. Stendarr grant that you do not have to face the same test and be found wanting,” Talon turned to Jotunn angrily. “I’m going to Dimhollow Crypt. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance to you.” He said before he marched off. 

Jotunn chased after him quickly, winking at Agmaer as he passed by. 

Jotunn pushed open the doors and jogged to catch up to Talon. “Talon!” He called out, causing the Vigilant to stop and look back. 

“How do expect me to meet you at this Dimhollow Crypt when I don’t even know where it is? At least mark it on a map for me, why don’t you?”

Talon blinked. “Oh yeah. It’s a cave in the mountains behind the Hall of Vigilants. South of Dawnstar. We could travel there together. It beats making the journey alone.”

Jotunn shrugged as Talon marked the location down on his map. “It beats talking to myself at least.”

_ Or Shadowmere. Ahh, this vampire shit better only take me a couple of months to take care of. Otherwise I might just have to spend the rest of my short life running away from Lydia’s sword. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next one will be longer I promise. With a lot less game dialogue too. This one only had so much cuz plot haha Anyway, let me know if you like this story so far! Until next time:)


	6. Why’s It Always Blood?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Talon reach Dimhollow Crypt and Jotunn finds out what’s inside. Jotunn is being his usual self

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little simplistic but there’s a little bit of action

CHAPTER SIX

Jotunn smelled the fire before they could see it. The scent of smoke and burnt flesh was carried on the wind miles away from its source. But eventually, after another couple miles of walking, they could see the smoke billowing up over the tree line. They’d spent the better part of two weeks making the trip from Riften to Dawnstar and then southward, towards Dimhollow Crypt. Which was apparently right behind the Hall of the Vigilants. Which undoubtedly was the source of the smoke. 

As they neared the Hall, Jotunn scrunched his nose. Even after all these years, he had never really gotten used to the smell of burnt bodies. For it was the smell of burnt bodies on the wind, of that he was certain. 

After another few minutes of walking, they reached a path that led up to a decent sized cabin. It may have been impressive once, but now it was just rubble. It was blackened by fire and ash flittered off the ruins, mixing with the falling snow. As they neared, Jotunn saw a number of corpses in front of the building. Some were vampires but most appeared to be Vigilants like Talon. If they went into the collapsed building, Jotunn bet they would find more of the dead. A particular corpse caught his attention when they stepped up the smoldering ruin. 

Jotunn knelt beside a hound. Or what might have once been a hound. It was black with no fur, it’s skin clutching at its bones. It had strong looking legs and an even stronger looking jaw that was filled with frozen teeth. A large spiked collar was wrapped around its neck. The creature didn’t have a nose, instead it had just two open holes at the end of it’s snout. And crimson eyes stared lifelessly up at the sky. 

He grunted. He’d never come across something like this undead dog before. “Do you happen to know what this is?” He asked.

Talon scowled, leering at the dead dog as if it could sense his animosity. “A death hound, I’d wager. I’ve heard of them but never seen one. No one knows how they came to be but vampires have been using them a lot recently. Apparently, their bites are as cold as ice.”

Jotunn nodded. “And this is the Hall of the Vigilants, I take it?”

“What’s left of it.” Snarled Talon. “We should bury the fallen while we are here. The dead deserve to be sent off properly.”

Jotunn sighed as he stood. “Fine. We can do that later. I want to look around first, see if I can’t find anything useful.”

Talon shrugged. “Be my guest. The only thing you’ll find here is death.”

Jotunn snickered. “Cheery.” He said as the wind flared up around them.

He then carefully entered the crumbling building, ducking under a fallen beam. He coughed from the stench. Several more Vigilants and vampires were crushed under fallen logs of the roof. Signs of the fight could be seen despite the wreckage. And one of the Vigilants, a woman with bright hair, was laid out on a broken table, her guts strewn about lazily. A stream of dried blood clung to her frozen body. Evidence that the surviving vampires had had a feast.

Judging by the dead on both sides, the vampires must have come with a formidable force and overwhelmed the Vigilants before feasting and moving off. Probably to the crypt. 

_ What charming creatures they are. _

“There was definitely a big struggle here. Think the bastards moved off to your Dimhollow Crypt already?” Jotunn yelled to Talon back outside. There was no answer so he yelled louder. “Talon?” 

Jotunn groaned in annoyance and exited the hall. Talon was nowhere to be seen. Though he could see where the other man had gone. Fresh footprints in the snow led away from the Hall, along a side path up the mountain the building nestled against. The path to the crypt if Jotunn had to guess. He cursed.  _ Shor’s bones, now I have to save his dumb ass too.  _ He looked back at the building and the corpses and shrugged.  _ Well who am I to deny scavengers a decent meal? _

Jotunn pulled his cowl down over his face and put on his Nightingale mask, mainly in an attempt to block out the cold but also in preparation for what he knew was to be an assured fight once he reached the crypt. 

He followed the path and the footprints up the side of the mountain. Talon must have ran off at full speed in order to get so far ahead of him. Jotunn didn’t bother to run up the mountain though. He hiked quickly, of course, but it would be stupid to waste all his energy getting to the crypt rather than waste it going through the crypt. And as cruel as it was, he was in no big rush to reach Talon. The man clearly wished to avenge his comrades so badly that he refused to listen to reason. The reason being that if he hadn’t been so foolish, he would have realized that taking on a crypt full of draugr and vampires single handedly was a death wish. 

Jotunn stopped, grunting in realization. Talon had run off by himself because he wanted to die. Sure, he wanted to avenge his fallen Vigilants, but he also wanted to die so he could join them. This wasn’t a vengeance quest: it was a suicide. 

Jotunn sighed as he picked up the pace. If Talon wanted to go out fighting vampires then that was his choice. Jotunn just wished the man had waited for him because now the vampires would be expecting trouble. 

Finally, Jotunn reached the crypt entrance. Ancient snow covered steps led to a cave dug into the side of the rock face. He looked over his shoulder at the forest far below. It was the last time he’d be outside for a while if previous crypt experiences were anything to go by. Rolling his shoulders, he stepped through the tight opening of the cave entrance and inched his way into a thin tunnel. Eventually, the tunnel widened out but it was still a little cramped. Roots fell over his head as he walked into darkness. Right away, he could smell the typical scents of an underground crypt. Rotting flesh and earth mixed with the oils used to keep the dead bodies intact. And who could forget the smell of rat droppings?

He wrinkled his nose and did his best to block out the unimportant scents. His ears picked up the sound of voices as he exited the tunnel and stepped out into a decent sized cavern. A small stream of water cascaded down the left side of the cavern ans on the right side was a small ancient Nord tower. On the far side of the cavern were the owners of the voices. Two vampires. One male and one female. They were standing over the bodies of another vampire and two Vigilants. One of those death hounds stood with them. 

Jotunn cursed silently as he listened to them talk.  _ I should have brought my bow. Now I’m going to have to kill the lookouts up close and personal. _

“Those Vigliants never know when to give up. I thought we’d taught them enough of a lesson at their hall. To come in here alone...a fool like all the rest of them.”

“He fought well though. Bresoth was no match for him.”

“No. He got what he deserved. His arrogance had become insufferable.”

“All this talk is making me thirsty. Perhaps another Vigilant will wander in soon. I wish Lokil would hurry it up. I have half a mind to return to the castle and tell Harkon what a fool he’s entrusted this mission to.”

“And I have half a mind to tell Lokil of your disloyalty.”

“You wouldn’t dare. Now shut up and keep watch.”

Jotunn mentally sighed. They must have been talking about Talon. 

He silently unsheathed one of his swords and took out one of his daggers. Then he backed up a little until he was just inside the tunnel once more. It was time to play a little game.

“ZUL MEY GUT!” His Shout was a soft echo that reverberated throughout the cavern. And then he waited for the inevitable. Listening for the faintest of sounds. He heard them before he saw them. The sound of footsteps on the snowy ground, crunching almost inaudibly, silent for any normal man. But Jotunn was no ordinary man. 

The two vampires were just around the bend. Then he saw a shimmering form round the corner. It was barely visible and would have been completely invisible had it not been walking on snow. 

Jotunn smiled from behind his mask as the shimmering shape got closer. “Nice footprints.” He said pleasantly before leaping forward and running the vampire through with his sword. The beast hissed as it crumpled to ash. Even as it crumpled away, Jotunn was moving forward and around the corner to get to it’s friend. Which he easily dispatched with a clean, but lucky, beheading. In truth, he hadn’t seen where it’s head was. He sort of just swiped and hoped. 

As the head fell besides the body, Jotunn grunted.  _ How many of my plans work out purely by dumb luck? Hmm. Probably too many. _

He sheathed his weapons and went over to the tower. After finding a lever and opening the door on the other side of the cavern, he walked over to the two dead Vigilants. He knelt down beside the clawed up body of Talon. He gently closed the Vigilant’s bloodied eyes. 

“You died a noble if stupid death, Talon. That being said, I’m sure Tsun will let you into the Hall of Valor should your soul head to Sovngarde. Enjoy the rest.” He sniffed. “Wish I could get some rest.” He said quietly before standing back up and continuing on. 

He made quick work of the vampires and draugr in the next few caverns and halls. The only things that were even remotely a challenge an extra experienced vampire and it’s giant pet frostbite spider, but after a good fight, both fell to Jotunn’s swords. 

He pushed open an old wooden door and followed the staircase that led ever downward. At the end of the stairs was another door which Jotunn opened slowly, as not to make any sudden loud noises that might echo through the place. He stepped out onto a balcony overlooking a huge open cavern with some sort of round arena in the middle. Just below him was two more vampires and a tied up human on his knees. Jotunn watched as one of the vampires knelt beside the human. The human spat in the vampire’s face bravely.

“I’ll never tell you anything, vampire. My oath to Stendarr is stronger than any suffering you can inflict on me.”

The vampire chuckled. “I believe you, Vigilant. And I don’t think you even know what you’ve found here. So go and meet your beloved Stendarr.” It said before it slashed the Vigilant’s throat. The human gurgled on his own blood as he slumped face down to the floor, dead. The vampire stood, dusting it’s legs off. It’s friend crossed it’s arms. 

“Are you sure that was wise, Lokil? He still might have told us something. We haven’t gotten anywhere ourselves with…” It trailed off as the other looked at it. 

“He knew nothing. He served his purpose by leading us to this place. Now it is up to us to bring Harkon the prize.” The other vampire said.

Jotunn pursed his lips. There was that name again. Harkon. The vampires at the crypt entrance had said it as well.  _ Maybe Harkon is the leader of this group. Must be new. Otherwise I’d have come across this Harkon fellow by now.  _

Lokil continued talking about a prize as the two vampires began to walk towards the round arena. “And we will not return without it. Vingalmo and Orthjolf will make way for me after this.”

“Yes, of course Lokil.” The other said. “Do not forget who brought you news of the Vigilant’s discovery.”

“I never forget who my friends are. Or my enemies. Now come. Let’s figure this out.”

Jotunn grinned underneath his mask as he crept down a side path, careful not to make any noise. He moved slowly, inch by inch. He’d learned long ago that it was better to move as slowly as possible whenever sneaking around, especially in a dark place. In the dark, a slow, almost unmoving figure, would blend in perfectly with the shadows around it. Making any form of quick movement would alert the enemy of your presence, as shadows moving always garnered attention. It was for the same reason that children are frightened of the dark: one never expects a shadow to move and so when someone thinks one did, their eyes catch it immediately. 

Nearly three minutes passed by the time he reached the bottom of the path and began making his way towards the short bridge that led to the arena looking structure. Along the way, he froze as a thrall turned towards him. The dark elf stared mindlessly over in the general direction that Jotunn was in, maybe twenty feet away. 

Jotunn didn’t even blink, as any movement might have alerted the elf. It was moments like this where he was extra glad his armor and the sword in his hand was dark colored and blended into the darkness around him. After a couple seconds, the elf turned back around and resumed his guard duty. Jotunn crept ever closer, until he was mere feet behind the dark elf thrall. Slowly, he stood up, checked that the two vampires in the middle of the cavern weren’t looking his way, and then brought his arm around the elf’s head to cover his mouth while reaching over and cutting the elf’s throat. Carefully, Jotunn sank back down and brought the elf with him. He laid the elf down on the floor gently and stood back up. 

He always tried to kill vampire thralls as quickly and painlessly as possible. He pitied them. They were mindless slaves for the vampire that had charmed them and so Jotunn always tried to give them merciful deaths. He figured death was better than living the rest of your life as a mindless tool for some fiend. 

With the thrall dead, Jotunn decided to make quick work of the two vampires. 

He crept a little closer and then unsheathed his second sword. The noise from that swift movement echoed throughout the cavern, immediately alerting the vampires that he was there. They hissed but Jotunn was already moving, shouting, “WULD NAH KEST!” The Shout carried him forward, closing the distance between himself and the vampires in less than a second. He slew the female vampire before she knew what happened, his blade sinking into her chest as if she were made of thin air. With a shriek, she dissolved into ash as Lokil charged at Jotunn, enraged. Jotunn whipped around and blocked a sword thrust from Lokil, who apparently dabbled in swordplay as well as blood drinking. Lokil snarled and slid his blade downward in an attempt to catch Jotunn off guard. Jotunn simply went with it, and then struck Lokil’s blade with his other sword, toying with the vampire. A fact that Lokil clearly caught on to as he backed away. The vampire’s left hand began to glow red and Jotunn leaped forward and hit his hand with the side of his sword. “Why do you bastards always try and drain the life out of your adversaries? It’s far easier just to kill them. Like this.” 

He feigned left and then suddenly went right, slashing the leg of the vampire. Lokil hissed in pain and it must have dawned on him that he was vastly outmatched as he hurried to limp away. Jotunn snickered and threw a sword at Lokil’s exposed back. The blade went deep and Lokil fell, dead. Well, considerably more than he had been a minute ago. 

Jotunn retrieved his sword and then sheathed his weapons and looked around. There were a number of small pillars jutting out from the stone ground, each holding a brazier. Some were lit with purple fire but most were dead. On the ground were some kind of carved lines, each connecting to the braziers. And in the middle of the structure was an altar of some kind. It had a bloodied button on the top of it. Jotunn groaned. He knew what the button meant. He’d come across something similar at Sky Haven Temple. 

He stepped up to the button and placed his non-dominant hand on top of it. He pushed down and a small spike impaled his hand. He winced in pain and watched as purple light seeped out of the lines on the ground. The spike receded and Jotunn shook his hand, still wincing. Using his other hand, he healed the wounded one before looking around at the light. 

_ Ugh. Why can’t things ever be easy? I mean instead of all the pointless puzzles, why couldn’t the ancients just leave their crap out in the open? Or at the very least, not use blood rituals.  _

Flat out guessing, Jotunn played around with the braziers, noticing that some of them moved along the lines and were lit with the purple flames. When all the braziers were lit, the center pedestal lowered into the floor and purple light exploded out of it. The floor sank several feet but the pedestal remained standing. Except now it was a monolith. 

Jotunn eyed it curiously. “Well...that’s new.”

He stepped up to it and as he neared, one side of the monolith fell off suddenly. Jotunn leapt back, his hands going for his swords, but then he froze, more curious than he was before. 

Inside the monolith...was a woman.

He studied her as she staggered out of the monolith. She wore red and black light armor, with a cape and cowl hanging off her shoulders, held there by a broach that looked like a skeleton. An elven dagger was at her side. She had dark brown hair that loosely came down to her neck. Her face was angular, with high cheekbones. Jotunn’s fingers grasped the hilt of his sword when he noticed her smell and her eyes. Her eyes were bright yellow tinted with a dash of red, the eyes of a vampire. 

The vampire rubbed her eyes and shook her head, getting accustomed to the light. She raised her head and blinked at him. 

Jotunn grinned, forgetting he still had his mask on. With his free hand, he waved slightly at her. “Um...hello there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! The story is finally starting to lift off haha. Let me know what you think of this so far! Until next time:)


	7. That’s Some Nap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn meets a vampire that doesn’t attack him and has an Elder Scroll. So he has a little chat with it. He also lets slip a secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this chapter is mostly dialogue with a little bit of action sprinkled here and there. Next chapter will most likely be longer

CHAPTER SEVEN

The vampire eyed him warily, wrinkling up her nose as she took the first breath of ‘fresh’ she’d had in who knows how long. Surprisingly, she smelled more fur and blood than fresh air. 

Jotunn eyed her back, ready for a fight if it came to that. But so far, the vampire hadn’t given any inclination that she wasn’t friendly. Well, friendly was perhaps a stretch. Jotunn would rather say ‘wasn’t hungry yet’. 

The vampire shook her head as if dazed. Which Jotunn could understand. He’d be a little shaken up too if he had just woken up from being trapped in a box. 

“Uhh...where is...who sent you here?” The vampire asked.

“A bald guy named Isran. I doubt you know him.”

She peered at him closely. “I was expecting...well not you.”

Jotunn snorted. “And who were you expecting? A knight with a flaming sword? A drunken harlot with a heart of gold?”

The vampire frowned. “I was expecting someone...like me, at least.”

“You mean a vampire?” Jotunn said, sheathing his sword slowly. He figured that if she had wanted to attack him, she would have done it by now and she definitely wouldn’t have been having a chat with him.

She nodded. “Vampire, yes.” She said, taking notice of his actions. 

Jotunn raised his hand and took off his mask as a sign of peace. Whoever this vampire was, someone had gone to a lot of trouble to lock her up. And with an Elder Scroll no less so he didn’t want to provoke her and find out the hard way why she was locked up. 

“The Dawnguard would want me to kill you. But luckily for you, I don’t really work for them.” 

The vampire put her hands on her hips. “Yes, ‘lucky me’. Not fond of vampires, this Dawnguard group?” Jotunn shook his head and she continued. “Well, look. Kill me, you’ve killed one vampire.”

“I’ve killed considerably more than just one vampire.” Jotunn interrupted her, but she ignored him.  _ What is it with woman ignoring me whenever I make a joke? Am I really not that funny? _

“But if people are after me, there’s something bigger going on. I can help you find out what that is. If you help me get somewhere.”

Jotunn raised an eyebrow. “Where do you need to go? To the crypt next door to this one?”

The vampire grunted in disgust. Apparently it didn’t know the appropriate response to a good joke. “My family used to live on an island to the west of...Solitude I think it was called. I would guess they still do,” She swallowed. “By the way...my name is Serana. Good to meet you. And thanks for not attacking me on sight.”

Jotunn chuckled. “I can say the same to you.” 

Serana grunted. “You seem different from most other humans I’ve met. You seem capable and powerful. Are all humans like that nowadays?”

Jotunn shrugged. “I’m nobody special,” He lied, but he didn’t think Serana bought it. “So, any idea how to get out of here? Know of any shortcuts?”

Serana’s eyes narrowed, taking notice of his quick attempt to change the topic. “Your guess is as good as mine. This place looks pretty different from when I was locked away.”

Jotunn nodded. “And does your being locked away have anything to do with the Elder Scroll on your back?”

Serana cocked her head to the side in surprise. “You know what an Elder Scroll looks like? How?”

He smirked at her. “It’s in my interest to know things. You didn’t answer my question.”

“Neither did you. So we’ll call it even.”

“Alright then why were you locked away?”

She frowned. “I’d...rather not get into that with you. If that’s all right. I’m sorry, it's not that...it’s just that I don’t know who I can trust yet.”

Jotunn sighed. “I can respect that. Fine. Just know that trust goes both ways. I can’t trust you if you don’t trust me and vice versa and all that. Let’s just get going before I change my mind. Oh, and if you try anything then I’ll kill you.”

He started walking towards a short bridge on the other side of the arena, expecting it’d have to lead somewhere. 

“Wait!” Serana said as she tentatively followed him. He paused, looking over his shoulder at her. “You never gave me your name.”

Jotunn’s mouth twitched in a grin as he said, “I’ll tell you my name once you open up and answer my questions. Trust, remember?”

“Really? You know I didn’t have to talk to you back there. I could have easily killed you if I wanted to.” Serana growled in annoyance.

Jotunn chuckled. “Not easily. With tremendous difficulty is more likely.”

The vampire snorted and Jotunn grinned. Something told him that she didn’t do well with having her ego challenged. Which meant she was one of his favorite types of people to mess with. 

They reached the other side of the cavern and Jotunn stopped before a couple gargoyle statues as Serana continued walking, looking up at the cave ceiling. He’d come across a few statues of similar make in some of the castles he’d visited over the years, but none of them looked as lifelike as the ones he stood before now. They even had eye slits carved into them. Whoever carved them must have been a true master of their craft. 

Jotunn was about to move on when he froze. He had the strange feeling that he was being watched. And then he noticed that neither of the statues had any dust on them.  _ Huh. You’d think statues like that would gather up plenty of dust sitting around here constantly. Unless they aren’t always...sitting. Shit.” _

He realized too late that the statues were not merely statues. Even as he jumped back and reached for his blades, the gargoyle statues came alive. The one closest to him lunged forward and barreled into Jotunn, sending him falling backwards. As he hit the ground, he rolled as to avoid the gargoyle’s follow up attack: an attempt to pummel him to death. Finishing the roll, Jotunn sprang to his feet, his swords at the ready. He wasn’t sure if statues could die but now was as good a time as any to learn. The gargoyle leapt at him, it’s clawed hands outstretched. Jotunn ducked under it’s arm and brought one of his swords into the creature’s jaw, which strangely enough wasn’t actually made of stone. The gargoyle crashed to the ground but Jotunn had forgotten about the second one that had gone around to flank him. He turned just in time to see a small blade spring from it’s chest. With a sigh, it fell dead, as Serana pulled her dagger out of it. She smiled at him, showing off her fangs. 

He grunted and sheathed his swords before heading over towards a path leading up to what appeared to be a way out of the cavern. “This looks like the right way.” He said gruffly. 

“Not even a ‘thank you’ for saving your life, I see.” Serana said smugly as she followed him.

“Consider us even then.” Was Jotunn’s reply.

“Are you this annoying with everyone you meet?” 

Jotunn hid a grin. “Only with vampires I chat with instead of attack.”

Serana was quiet for a moment before giving a shrug. “Eh, fair enough.”

Jotunn led the way through some smaller catacombs which were of course, filled with a bunch of draugr. Thankfully though, none proved to be a problem and so Jotunn made short work of them. Especially with the help of the vampire, who was proving to be a good fighter despite having been cooped up in a coffin for who knows how long. 

After a couple short fights, the two found themselves in another large cavern that appeared to be some kind of throne hall. A giant fire pit was in the middle of the cavern and on the far side stood a stone throne. A draugr sat, slouched in the throne while a few skeletons sat in smaller chairs on the outskirts of the hall. Behind the throne was a Word Wall and steps leading out of the hall. Jotunn readied his weapons. He’d explored enough crypts and caves to know when a fight was coming. And he was willing to bet his legs that the draugr and skeletons weren’t completely dead. 

He strained to get a better look at the draugr and cursed mentally.  _ Great. A deathlord. He might even be somewhat of a challenge.  _

If he had been by himself, he would have just slowed time or something and killed the deathlord that way, but he didn’t want to let on that he was Dragonborn. He wasn’t sure how Serana would react and if she reacted positively then he didn’t need the awe that always came with showing people who he was. Besides, he wasn’t there to show off much less be buddies with the vampire. He’d agreed to get her home, not impress her.

“Okay, here’s the plan: I’m going to sneak down and take out the deathlord before he can become a threat while you sneak around and...Hey. Are you paying attention?” Jotunn said in an aside to Serana who was looking around at the hall like it was some kind of palace. She blinked in surprise when he snapped his fingers under her nose. 

“What, sorry? What were you saying?”

Jotunn sighed. “I was going over the plan.”

Serana nodded. “Oh. Plans are boring.” She said before she broke off at a run, heading for the draugr deathlord who started to rise out of his throne. Jotunn growled in annoyance and ran off after her. 

_ She doesn’t answer any of my questions, she’s full of herself, and she’s rash. Well if she’s trying to piss me off, she’s doing a wonderful job.  _

Serana reached the deathlord just in time for him to swing a giant longsword at her head. She ducked and thrusted her dagger forward, aiming it at his neck. The draugr side stepped faster than she expected him to and as she was off balance from the thrust, he reached out and grabbed her wrist with his clammy hands. 

Serana flinched in disgust and merely elbowed him several feet away with her increased vampiric strength. The draugr crashed to the ground clumsily. In a flash, Serana closed the distance and stabbed downward, aiming at the draugr’s head. This time, he was too slow to dodge her attack and he took the blade straight into his face. Serana twisted the dagger further into the undead warrior’s head, getting no resistance as the head was long past decaying. Slowly, the blue light in the warrior’s dead eyes was diminished and the body grew still once more. She turned just in time to see Jotunn shatter the remaining skeleton he had been fighting. The bones went flying and he nodded to her. 

“You handle yourself well.” He said as he sheathed his swords after giving a short sniff. 

“Yeah, well, I’ve had a long time to practice.” Was her reply. 

Jotunn’s mouth twitched. Then he bowed, gesturing to the steps leading out of the cavern. “After you, old bat.”

Serana glared at him, but led the way up the steps. Quickly, Jotunn walked over to the Word Wall and read the ancient dragon text, commuting the word to his memory before following Serana into a thin tunnel. They followed the tunnel until it broadened out a little, revealing a crevice with sunlight pouring through it. Seeing the sunlight, Serana threw her hood over her head. Then they squeezed out of the crevice and out into the world. A number of pine trees joined them on a subtle slope. A light flurry of snow fell down from their branches. The sun was just beginning to set, casting the sky in the pink light of dusk. 

Serana stretched, her arms reaching high as she took a deep breath of fresh air. “Ahh! It’s so good to breathe again! This weather is incredible.”

Jotunn shrugged. “Anything is better than a cold damp cave, I suppose. Nice hood by the way. It really brings out the lack of pigment to your skin.”

Serana listened carefully, her ears straining to hear any indication that the man was asleep. But his heart was beating at a much faster pace than a sleeping man’s would. She thought that was strange. It’d been almost two hours since he had leaned up against a tree trunk and closed his eyes. Three since they had stopped walking for the night and made camp. And yet, there was no indication that he was sleeping. 

She pursed her lips, her tongue rubbing up against her fangs. The human perplexed her. After the day he must have had, he should have been dreadfully tired. Only he wasn’t. He hadn’t looked tired at all before he settled down for the night. So why pretend that he was asleep? And how could he have gone so long pretending? Any normal man would have succumbed to sleep by now, even if he was trying to stay awake. 

She took the opportunity to study the human more closely. Upon closer inspection, she noticed just how hairy he was. He even had tufts of hair hiding in his ears. And his forearms were hairier than most humans she’d seen. While she couldn’t see what his body looked like under his black armor, she guessed that she’d find even more hair. 

She raised an eyebrow when she looked at his hands. His fingernails were almost pointy, like miniature claws. Not as long as hers but still longer than most women. She sniffed. There was that scent again.  _ It smells like...fur? Mixed with a dragony smell? Hmm. Strange. Is he… _

“You can drop the act.” She said suddenly. “I can hear your heartbeat. You aren’t sleeping. Why? Think I’m going to attack you as you sleep or something?”

The man opened his eyes and looked over at her. His eyes never diluted, as if the darkness didn’t bother him. “No, I don’t think you’ll attack me in my sleep. Surprisingly.”

“Then why aren’t you sleeping?” Serana asked.

He sat up. “I don’t sleep much. I was asleep for a little bit though.”

Serana peered at him. “Horseshit. Like I told you, I’ve been listening to your heartbeat all this time and at no point were you asleep. Now tell me the truth: why were you pretending?”

He groaned. “So I wouldn’t give it away. I don’t sleep. Haven’t been able to in years.”

Serana snorted. “Because you’re a werewolf?”

The human coughed, nearly choking on his saliva. “Bwha— what?”

“Oh please, like it’s really that difficult to figure out. You didn’t stumble once as we walked tonight even though humans are notorious for having bad eyesight at night. I know werewolves are incapable of sleeping. Your pupils didn’t dilute once the sun fell. You’re constantly sniffing as if you are smelling the air. And you’re crazy hairy. Honestly, I’m mad at myself for not noticing it right away.”

He tensed up, as if he expected her to berate him. She grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m in no position to get freaked out and call you an abomination. I have to say, it’ll be interesting traveling with a werewolf. Anyway, I’m going to go see if I can kill a rabbit or two. I’m parched. I’ll be back in a bit, wolfy.”

Serana went to leave but stopped when the man cleared his throat. “Jotunn.”

She turned back around. “What?”

“Jotunn. My name is Jotunn,” He said with a wolfish grin. “Nice to meet you, Serana.”

Serana smiled back. “Nice to meet you at last, Jotunn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thoughts on Jotunn being a werewolf? Let me know in the comments!  
> Until next time! :)


	8. Who Are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana talk about smells and journey to Solitude. Serana does some snooping

CHAPTER EIGHT

“So...what can you smell nearby?” Serana asked Jotunn as they trudged along the road heading towards the swamps of Morthal. They had no intention of stopping at the town, however. Because of the whole Movarth incident a few years ago, the town checked every traveler coming through and Serana would be found out immediately. So they figured it was best to give the town a wide berth once they reached its borders and just go off the beaten path through the swamps on the way to reach Solitude where they would stop and resupply.

Jotunn grunted, refusing to answer her. He knew that as a vampire, her sense of smell was almost as good as his. At least in the nearby vicinity. So she was just talking to fill the silence between them as they walked. 

“Come on,” Serana prodded. “What’s that great nose of yours smell? … Fine. It was just an innocent question.”

Jotunn sighed in annoyance and gave in. He sniffed the air quickly. “There’s a bear and her cub about a mile away near a buck carcass. There’s a herd of deer about 200 yards away. Some wolves are in a den maybe 500 yards away. And I can smell an Orc about half a mile down the road. Is that good enough for you?”

Serana laughed. “I asked what can you smell  _ nearby _ , you braggart!”

Jotunn couldn’t help but grin. “Really? My mistake.”

“Don’t give me that; I know your hearing is almost as good as your smell. Now seriously, what can you smell nearby? I’m curious.”

Jotunn sighed. “Fine. I can smell a nest of honeybees to our right, traces of a fox about twenty feet off to the left, some horse manure farther along the road, tree sap, a couple voles underneath us, deer piss, and you.”

“And what do I smell like?” 

Jotunn snorted. “Was that a serious question? You reek of death, of course.”

Serana frowned. “You don’t smell like a flower either. You smell like a wet dog.”

“Thank you. I take pride in my ability to smell like a dog.”

Serana rolled her eyes. It seemed the only thing Jotunn really took pride in was his ability to annoy her. 

Jotunn was quiet for a moment before speaking up. “So how long were you napping in that monolith?”

Serana pursed her lips. “Good question. It’s hard to say. I...can’t really tell. It’s a little hard to keep track of time when you’re asleep in case you haven’t noticed. I mean, I feel like it was a long time. Who is Skyrim’s High King?”

Jotunn laughed heartily. “Ulfric Stormcloak is. He’s doing a pretty decent job too. After I knocked some morals into him, that is.”

Serana stopped walking suddenly. Jotunn turned around and looked at her. She seemed troubled. “I’ve...never heard of him. Is he well supported?”

Jotunn scratched his chin. His mask was hanging at his side until he needed it. “Well the Empire is still a little upset about the civil war but with Elisif acting as an advisor to Ulfric, its content at the moment. Which I’m glad of because it took forever to get those two to reluctantly work together.”

Serana just stared at him, confused. “Empire? What...what empire?”

Jotunn blinked. “The...Empire. From Cyrodill?”

“Cyrodill is the seat of an empire?” She asked incredulously. I must have been gone longer than I thought. Definitely longer than we planned. We have to hurry and reach my home so I can figure this all out.”

Jotunn grinned. “Sure, let me just call my dragon and we’ll fly there in a flash.”

Serana scowled at him. “This is serious.”

Jotunn shrugged. “Have it your way. Odahviing doesn’t like being asked to give rides anyway.”

Serana groaned and continued walking, at a faster pace than before, leaving Jotunn no choice but to follow her. He grinned happily. He was enjoying getting on her nerves. More so than with other people for some reason. Maybe because most people he messed with weren’t ‘friendly’ vampires. 

Jotunn’s eyes fell on the scroll on the vampire’s back. If anything, the scroll made him nervous and when he was nervous, he tended to joke around more. Elder Scrolls weren’t in such abundance that one could be causally left with an ancient vampiress. He’d used the Scrolls before but after Solsteim, he usually tried to avoid big ancient texts. They tended to only lead to trouble that wasn’t worth having.

Though he did wonder why she had a Scroll in the first place. He mentally shrugged. So far, she hadn’t given him any inclination that she intended to use it and so he wouldn’t bring it up. 

They walked along the road for another mile or so before Jotunn cleared his throat and gestured to the woods to their left. It was time to get off the road. A few minutes later, an Orc rounded the bend in the road, walking in the opposite direction. He paused momentarily when he reached their spot and then continued on. They waited until he was out of sight before returning to the road. 

Serana groaned. “Well this is going to get tiresome quickly. Why can’t we just stick to the road? It’d be easier.”

“Because,” Jotunn stressed. “Even though most people don’t know what a vampire looks like, we look pretty suspicious. A guy wearing black clothes with a mask and a woman wearing fancy clothes and a hood that all but blocks her face completely? Not suspicious at all. Besides, I’d rather not be seen.”

Serana nodded. “Good point. I wouldn’t want to be seen either if I looked like you.”

Jotunn frowned. “Har-har.”

Serana gave a toothy grin. “I’m just saying.”

“Yes, well, say less.”

“From my home, you used to just be able to see Solitude over the mountains. It’s exactly what I imagined.” Serana said as they stood before the front gates to the city. It had taken a lot longer than planned to arrive but they’d made it without too much trouble. Only now was the hard part. 

“I prefer Riften. It has more personality than Solitude.” Jotunn said, earning a sidelong look from Serana. “Anyway, while we’re here, follow my lead. And keep your head down.”

She snorted. “Of course! What a brilliant idea. And here I was about to run into the city shouting ‘I’m a vampire’ to everyone willing to listen. Now I know not to do that and instead, keep a low profile.”

Jotunn smirked. “You sure you don’t want to do that? It sounds like fun.”

“No thanks.”

Jotunn chuckled and led the way through the gates and into the city, donning his ciel as he did so. It wouldn’t do to be recognized. Especially when traveling with a vampire. 

The city was bustling with people, with everyone going about their day. The guards eyed them as they entered but let them pass. What was two more travelers after all? 

As they walked through the city, no one gave them a second glance. Jotunn walked past the hall of the dead with Serana in tow. He was trying to get to Proudspire Manor without alerting anyone that he was back. Luckily most people were either working or at the market so there wasn’t anyone around. They arrived at the manor and Jotunn went around to the back of the house to the backdoor. 

Serana feigned a cough. “Um, I don’t think breaking into someone’s house is going to help keep a low profile.”

“Relax. It’s my house.”

Serana coughed for real. “ _ This  _ is your house? What, are you a noble on top of being a werewolf?”

Jotunn snickered as he knelt down and picked the lock to the door. “Not at all, you old bat. I’m a Thane. I was gifted this house a few years ago after an incident in a nearby cave.”

Serana laughed. “What, do you explore caves for fun in your spare time?”

Jotunn caught the lock as it fell and stood up. “Sometimes.”

He carefully pushed open the door and stepped inside. The house looked as spotless as he had left it, with everything freshly dusted. A few candles had been lit to give the place that wonderful homey feeling. 

“Quiet. If we’re lucky, Jordis isn’t—.” He was cut off by a stern voice coming from the bottom of the stairs. 

“Jotunn. What do you mean ‘Jordis isn’t’? I’m not what? Here?”

Jotunn flinched and turned to see Jordis standing in front of the stairs leading to the upstairs. She’d let her bright blonde hair grow out almost to her ribs. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She wore her usual steel armor despite being inside the house and she glared at him, waiting for him to reply.

He smiled nervously, fearing a couple punches like what happened with Lydia after he first came back. “H-hey there, Jordis. I’m back. How’d you know it was me?”

Jordis sighed, rolling her eyes. “I knew it was you. I, along with everyone else, received a letter from Lydia that you had returned. Besides, you’re the only one who ever uses that door anyway.”

Jotunn groaned and smacked his forehead. “Damn. I wanted to surprise you all whenever I came back. Now I won’t be able to because you’ll all be expecting it.”

Jordis finally grinned. “I think that’s partially why Lydia sent out the letters. Now, who’s this with you?” Jordis asked as Serana stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. 

Jotunn cleared his throat. “Err, yes. This is Serana. She’s a um, nice vampire I met in a crypt.”

Jordis laughed. “Okay, seriously who is she?”

Serana took her hood off and smiled pleasantly at the blonde woman. Seeing the fangs and the eyes, Jordis took a cautious step back. “Shit, you’re serious.” 

Jotunn nodded as he shrugged off his own cowl. “When am I not serious?”

Serana rolled her shoulders, stretching as Jordis eyed her warily. “Why is she here? Are you insane bringing her into the city? Wait, don’t answer that.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Relax, no one noticed she was a vampire. As to why I brought her here, well, I’m taking her home which is apparently not far from here. We stopped here for some supplies.”

Jordis shook her head, but she was smiling. It was just like Jotunn to sound so casual about something as big as bringing a vampire into a city. “So, what? You were exploring a cave and then decided to help a random vampire you met?” 

Jotunn winked at her as he dropped his swords on a table. “Something like that.”

Jordis sighed. “Well as long as she doesn’t get hungry and think my neck looks appetizing then I guess I don’t mind. I’m going to be out for a while though; I’m going hunting in a bit.”

Jotunn clapped his hands. “Great! I’ll join you. I could use a good hunt.”

Jordis frowned. “You sure that’s a good idea? Who’ll watch the vampire?”

“The vampire has a name,” Serana said curtly. “And I can look out for myself.”

Jotunn nodded. “Serana is alright. She’s not some mindless beast out for blood. At least, I don’t think so. She won’t do anything like terrorize the city while we’re gone.”

Serana feigned a disappointed look. “Rats. And here I was hoping to go on a killing spree.”

When both Jotunn and Jordis stared at her, she groaned. “I’m joking.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll just go get my bow and then we can head out. If we don’t find anything by nightfall then I’ll come back, okay Serana? Feel free to relax in the meantime.” Jotunn said before he headed upstairs, leaving the two women alone. 

“So…” Serana said after a brief moment of silence. “How do you know Jotunn?”

Jordis crosses her arms. “I’m one of his housecarls. I look after the house while he’s gone, which is most of the time. Every now and then, like today, he pops by for a while before leaving again.”

Serana nodded. “And is he...Are you two…?”

Jordis grimaced. “Absolutely not.” The blonde woman said sternly and that was the end of it. 

Jotunn came back downstairs carrying a longbow in his hands. An excited grin was plastered over his face, giving him the appearance of a giddy child about to play with a new toy. “Alright, I’m all set. Be a good old bat while we’re gone.” He said with a wink to Serana before leaving with Jordis. 

Serana groaned. That teasing nickname for her was  _ not  _ going to be a thing. 

She looked around. If she was going to be stuck here then she was going to do some digging and see if she couldn’t learn anything about Jotunn. She still didn’t trust him and this was her chance to learn more about him. Especially since he hadn’t been very forthcoming about himself. Though in his defense, she hadn’t been very open about her personal life either. 

All she knew about him was that he was a sarcastic ass, a werewolf, and that he enjoyed walking through ancient burial crypts full of draugr and vampires. But he was also nice enough to not simply attack her during their first meeting and instead, offer to help her get home. Which was something she never would have expected from a werewolf adventurer that fights vampires on the side for this Dawnguard group. In truth, Jotunn was a mystery to her. One that she needed to solve, if only to sate her curiosity. 

Serana searched the first floor of the house for anything that might tell her more about Jotunn, but found nothing of interest. She headed upstairs and looked through any nook and cranny she could see but still, nothing but the usual things one would find in a house. Finally, she checked the basement and as she turned a corner, she whistled. The basement had a full fledged enchanting room in it. And not some amateur enchanter setup either but a setup that would make even her mother a little jealous. Several enchanting tables lined the wall and a number of soul gems littered the tables. 

As she looked around the room, her gaze was caught by a mannequin in the corner of the room. Her jaw hit the floor. The mannequin was wearing an impressive set of armor, a make she had never seen before. The armor was a dark tan color and looked to be made from some kind of scale. Giant teeth and claws made of bone adjourned the armor’s shoulders and boots. In fact, there were several huge long gashes across the armor’s chest, as if something enormous had clawed it. And there were a couple of scorch marks on the sides. The helm resembled the head of a lizard. She peered closer at the set and then took a surprised step back. If she didn’t know any better, she would say the armor was made from a dragon’s scaly hide. Something like this had to be worth a fortune. Maybe two! And it was just sitting in Jotunn’s house gathering dust.

Serana shook her head, astonished.  _ So he’s a werewolf, a Thane, a dungeon crawler, and the owner of a battle worn armor made of dragon scales. Just who  _ are _ you, Jotunn? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your thoughts so far if you feel inclined! Until next time:)


	9. Well That’s Cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana reach her home where Jotunn meets Harkon, an ancient and powerful vampires Who Jotunn then proceeds to threaten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one has lots of dialogue in it but towards the end there’s a little bit of action. Mostly a plot chapter

CHAPTER NINE

Jotunn and Serana left Solitude shortly after Jotunn and Jordis returned from their hunting trip. The two made good time heading over the snow capped mountains near Solitude and reached the waterfront where they searched for the boat Serana that would take them to the island her home was on. They spanned the coast for several days before they finally reached a small inlet covered with fog. The fog was so thick, they couldn’t see anything off the coast. But it was there that they stumbled upon the boat. 

Boat, was a bit of a stretch though. Jotunn would hardly call the beaten up rotting slab of wood, a boat, let alone a seaworthy one. The thing looked like if he took one step in it, it would sink. 

“I am  _ not  _ getting into that pathetic excuse for a boat. I mean, we’ll be lucky if we can cast off without the blasted thing crumbling apart.” Jotunn said, stubbornly crossing his arms in protest.

“It’s the only way to reach my home. Unless the mutt likes to swim?” When Jotunn growled, she snorted. “Anyway, my home is out there to the north. Can you see it?”

Jotunn peered out over the water, trying to see the home she spoke of through the mist. All he could see was just the faint outline of a tower-like structure. And unless Serana lived in the tower rafters, it didn’t look like much of a home.

Serana looked at him and then at the ‘boat’. Jotunn groaned, giving in. He stepped over to the boat and began untethering it from its post. Serana watched him until he said sharply, “Well come on then. If we’re going to go, let’s go.”

Serana grinned and quickly leapt aboard and got settled on one of the thin seats. With the line loose, Jotunn threw the rope onto the boat and with a heave, pushed the thing away from the miniature dock it was moored at. He hopped into the boat, grabbed the oar, and started to row in the general direction of the tower in the distance. He searched around for an extra oar for Serana to use but didn’t see any. 

Jotunn snorted. It figured there’d only be the one oar. 

“So we gonna switch out in a bit or..?”

Serana grinned innocently at him. A little too innocently. “Why? I thought you might like to show off that manly strength of yours and row us the entire way”

Jotunn glared at her. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not the showing off type. I’m the ‘this is hard and physically you’re stronger than me so I think it only fair if we take turns rowing,’ type.”

Serana snickered and she gave him a thumbs up to cheer him on as he kept rowing through the choppy water. Clearly, she wasn’t about to help. 

He grunted. “You know, I might just take a quick dip in the water. Then I’ll  _ really _ smell like a wet dog. And we still have a ways to go before we reach the island so I’d hate to smell for that long…” He trailed off, letting the threat hang in the air. 

Now it was Serena's turn to glare. “You wouldn’t dare.”

His mouth twitched in a smile. “I absolutely would. I might even want a hug after a good shake.”

Serana groaned, rolling her eyes. “You are a horrible person, I hope you are aware of this.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Eh, you aren’t wrong. So are we going to switch off in a little bit or am I going to have to go swimming?”

The vampire nodded. “Yes, if you insist. But I’d be careful if I were you. Else you end up swimming anyway.”

He grinned in acknowledgment. And true to her word, about five more minutes later, Serana switched seats with him and began rowing. Only she didn’t row as fast as Jotunn thought she would. In fact, she was rowing rather slowly, almost as if she was trying to prolong their arrival. 

_ Now that I think about it, she’s been sort of nervous ever since we reached the coast. She’s not excited to get home, that much is obvious. But why is that? _

He was about to ask her when she nodded at something over his shoulder as he faced her. “We’re here.”

Jotunn twisted around in his seat and gaped at the sight laid out before him. Emerging from the fog was an enormous castle that made the Blue Palace look small. Dark walls loomed high above them, with countless stone gargoyles and birds perched on what seemed like every ledge. One slightly smaller section of the castle stood before two other larger sections. The smaller section was connected to a wide sloping bridge with a chain gate cutting the main door off. More gargoyles lined the sides of the bridge. A couple crows fluttered about from statue to statue as Serana brought the boat up to a small destroyed dock. The tower Jotunn had seen from the other side of the water was before the bridge, off to the right. One look told him the tower wasn’t used, and hadn’t been used in who knows how long. The whole place gave him chills, as if the very atmosphere was warning him to leave. 

Jotunn whistled. “ _ This  _ is where you live? Damn, no wonder you haven’t exactly been thrilled to return quickly; this place hasn’t seen a good day in ages.”

Serana said nothing. She just tied the boat to a half rotten post and looked up at the castle. She swallowed, visibly nervous. “Hey, so...before we go in there…”

Jotunn raised an eye. Anything that could make a vampire nervous was a cause for concern for him. “You all right?” He asked.

Serana took a long breath to steady her nerves. “I think so. Just nervous. And thanks for asking. I uh, wanted to thank you. For getting me this far. But after we go in there, I’m going to go my own way for a while. And before you say it, it’s not about you. You’ve been surprisingly great in getting me back here. Especially since that Dawnguard group would probably want me dead.”

Jotunn snickered. “Not probably. Killing vampires is sort of their big thing. I’m most likely kicked out of the group now that I didn’t kill a vampire and instead helped it out.”

Serana nodded. “Yes, and I thank you for that. It’s just that I need to be alone for a while. There’s a lot of feelings wrapped up in this old place, and I don’t think you’re quite ready for them. So let me take the lead in there.”

Jotunn shrugged. “Sure. It’s your home, not mine. And I will try not to kill everything in there too. Unless someone attacks me then I’ll take that as an all clear.”

Serana blinked. “What do you...Oh. You can smell all the blood in there can’t you?”

Jotunn laughed. “You mean, ‘can I smell all the human blood in there’. Yes, I can. So again, out of respect for you, I won’t kill everything in there unless someone gives me a reason to. Well, a bigger reason than feasting on people’s blood.”

Serana gave him a tiny smile before leading the way to the bridge. As they passed over it, Jotunn glanced cautiously at the gargoyles. “These aren’t going to come alive and attack us, right?”

Serana chuckled. “I don’t think so, no.”

Jotunn grunted in affirmation, looking closer at the statues.  _ At least these ones actually look like they’ve been there a long time. Unlike the ones at Dimhollow. _

As they stepped up to the front gates, an old man wearing leather armor shouted at them to stop. He didn’t smell like a vampire so he must have been an enthralled slave, meant to be some kind of gatekeeper. 

“Halt! Who goes—Serana? Is that really you? I-I’ll open the gate immediately.” The old man said before he pulled a lever and the great gate slowly slid open. Serana swallowed, shaking ever so slightly. A couple drops of sweat slid down her brow and she seemed tentative to keep going. 

So Jotunn stepped forward and pushed open the front door for her. He was met by a high elf, dressed in a grey robe with tall pointy hair. His skin was almost bronze and his eyes were orange. An axe was at his side. He was clearly a vampire. When he saw Jotunn, he snarled. “How dare you trespass here!” 

His entire demeanor changed however, the instant Serana stepped inside the castle after Jotunn. He gasped in shock which turned into feigned happiness. “Wait...Serana? Is that truly you? I can not believe my eyes!” The vampire turned on his heels and marched over to a balcony. “My lord! Everyone! Serana has returned!” 

Serana grunted. “I guess I’m expected.”

Jotunn sniffed as they walked down the short hall. “Never thought I’d willingly enter a den full of ancient vampires. Normally there’s the promise of gold to look forward to.”

“Trust me. Please. I haven’t led you astray yet.” 

Jotunn snorted. “Only because I haven’t known you long.”

The two joined the other vampire on the balcony and Jotunn looked out over a large dimly lit dining hall. A few of those death hounds patrolled the room. A host of vampires were seated at two long tables lining both sides of the hall. Many were drinking from cups but a couple were drinking straight from a few live human slaves that were lying on the tables. Jotunn could hear their moans as the vampires drank their fill. At the far end of the hall was a short throne and sitting in the throne was a vampire with dark matted hair. A bushy beard wrapped around his chin and he had unnaturally long fangs, even for a vampire. He had on a long cape and a fancy looking robe. A thin sword rested at his hip. His eyes were blood red. 

The vampire in the throne stood up and walked around his table to meet Jotunn and Serana in the center of the room. “My long lost daughter returns at last. I trust you have my Elder Scroll?” The vampire said, his voice almost sent shivers down Jotunn’s spine. 

Serana scowled. “After all these years,  _ that’s  _ the first thing you ask me? Ugh. Yes, I have the Scroll.”

Serana’s father sighed, like he was annoyed by her. “Of course I’m delighted to see you, my daughter. Must I really say the words aloud?” He rubbed his chin. “Ah, if only your traitor mother was here, I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike.”

Jotunn grunted, his fingers fidgeting with the hilts of his swords. He was all too aware that the other vampires were eyeing him hungrily. “Charming.” He said quietly, which garnered the attention of the vampire. 

“Now tell me, who is this stranger you have brought into our hall?” The vampire asked.

Serana stepped beside Jotunn, making it clear to the other vampires that he was off the menu. “This is my savior, the one who freed me. If not for me, I’d still be...lost.”

Her father turned to Jotunn and bowed slightly. “For my daughter’s safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name?”

Jotunn sniffed disdainfully. “I have many titles. But you can call me Jotunn.”

“I am Harkon, lord of this court. By now, my daughter will have told you what we are.”

Jotunn snickered. “You’re vampires. That isn’t that hard to figure out.”

Harkon smiled proudly. “Not just vampires. We are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim. For centuries we have lived here, far from the cares of the world. All that ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most—.”

“The Elder Scroll on Serana’s back.” Jotunn interjected. It was clear to him that Harkon cared little for Serana. And even though they were vampires, it was still shitty. 

Harkon’s eyes narrowed, but he ignored the interruption. “You have done me a great service, and now you must be rewarded. There is but one gift I can give that is equal in value to the Elder Scroll and my daughter,” he said, putting emphasis on daughter. “I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a wolf among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again.”

Jotunn smirked. “Um, yeah. I already walk as a wolf among sheep. Men tremble at my approach anyway, and death isn’t a big concern for me either. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a concern but it’s not that pressing. Besides, I don’t think mixing werewolf blood and vampire blood will end well.”

Harkon’s nose twitched, the only indication that Jotunn was quickly starting to annoy him. “Yes, I can smell it on you. The power of my blood will purge that filth and make you whole again.”

Jotunn winced. “Well that was hurtful. What if I’d rather be a mutt than some blood sucking fiend?”

“Then I will banish you from this castle. But perhaps you still need convincing? Behold the power!” Harkon said as he hunched over and started to morph. His stature grew and his arms extended, each with clawed hands at the end of his arms. His skin became dark grey and his head grew, his jaws becoming more jagged. Long thin wings sprouted from his shoulder blades that helped suspend him in the air. He stared down at Jotunn who sniffed. 

“This is the power that I offer. Now, make your choice.” Harkon demanded. 

Jotunn scratched the back of his head. “That’s it? Huh. Somehow I thought you’d look a little more menacing than that. Kind of a letdown, actually. And on those merits alone, I refuse your ‘gift.’”

Harkon hissed. “So be it! I will spare your life this once but after that, you are prey like all mortals. I banish you from this hall.”

Jotunn laughed heartily then, surprising everyone in the room including Serana. “Seriously?  _ You  _ will spare  _ my  _ life? That’s cute. Really, that’s adorable. And I’m no one's prey.” Harkon went to speak but Jotunn raised up a hand. “I’m not done. Now I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen here, okay? Because I think Serana is a decent person and because you’re her family, I won’t kill everyone in this castle. Instead, I’m going to leave in a moment and none of you will follow me. In fact, if I ever catch wind of you roaming about the mainland, I will hunt you down using all of the resources I have— which is just about everything. Now that that’s done, I’ll be on my way. Serana, it was a pleasure.”

Harkon was dumbfounded. Never before had a mortal spoken to him in such a way. But if Jotunn’s blood was any indication, the mortal had the power to back up his threat. 

The other vampires in the court bristled with anger and prepared to attack, Orthjolf even started moving towards Jotunn. But Harkon raised a hand to stop them. “So be it. You have done me a favor, Jotunn and so I will do one for you. You are free to leave. And never return.”

Jotunn grinned. “Thank you kindly.” He said, backing up. He waved at Serana who was staring at him, shocked. “See you, you old bat.” 

He then turned on his heel and swaggered out of the castle. As he was walking towards the boat, he sniffed.  _ Well that almost went great.  _

He spun around and faced the vampire that had snuck out after him. It was a huge bear of a man with fiery red hair. He was armed with an axe and he looked furious. 

Jotunn rolled his eyes. He could almost smell the vampire’s murderous intentions. 

The vampire bared his fangs. “I’m going to enjoy killing you!” It said before lunging at Jotunn with inhuman speed. Unfortunately, Jotunn was quicker. 

He leapt back, already bringing one of his swords out and inhaling a deep breath. “YOL TOOR!” He Shouted and a huge ball of fire engulfed the vampire. He hadn’t said the entire shout as he hadn’t wanted to overdo it and destroy the castle’s gates. Even still, it was powerful enough to shake the ground and incinerate the vampire to ash. 

Jotunn grunted and replaced his sword. Then he stepped into the boat and cast off, beginning the trip back to the mainland. As he paddled, he couldn’t help but feel a little lonely. He’d enjoyed having a traveling companion again. And he wasn’t looking forward to making the long trip back to Fort Dawnguard alone. 

Serana watched as Jotunn left the castle. She still couldn’t believe what had just happened. She understood him refusing her father’s offer, but what she couldn’t believe was that he had threatened her father and her father had just...taken it. Not once had she seen her father take a threat seriously; he was far too prideful. And yet, he had let Jotunn speak to him like that. She didn’t know which was better: that he’d taken the threat seriously, or that it had been a wolf’s threat he’d taken seriously. 

She looked around at the members of the court. Everyone was livid, but especially the Nord Orthjolf. He was making his way towards the front doors, axe in hand. 

“Orthjolf!” Harkon said, causing the Nord to stop and turn back angrily. “I agreed that no one would follow him and I intend to keep my word.”

Orthjolf growled in anger. “And are we just going to let that swine insult us? The mortal deserves to die!” 

Harkon nodded calmly. “And if you go after him, then you will die. And no one here will wish to avenge you.”

Orthjolf’s lips curled up in a snarl. “You doubt my strength? He’s one measly human. A weakling.”

Harkon blinked. “He is neither a human or a weakling. But do as you wish. You have served this court well.” 

Orthjolf spun around and stormed out of the castle, the doors closing behind him. 

Serana frowned, debating whether or not she should go stop him. While she knew Jotunn was a skilled warrior, Orthjolf had been fighting for ages and was also a higher vampire. She wasn’t sure if Jotunn could win and she quite liked him. Mainly because he was interesting. It’d be a shame if someone as interesting as him became Orthjolf’s next meal. 

She was about to go off after Orthjolf when a deafening voice echoed throughout the castle, shaking the very walls. Serana had never heard such a voice, but it was practically dripping with magical power. 

The others all tensed up while Harkon turned and started to walk out of the room, heading for his study. “Goodbye Orthjolf.”

Serana raced outside. Already in the water rowing away, was Jotunn. Scorch marks covered the ground and a few patches of grass were still on fire. But she couldn’t see Orthjolf anywhere. Looking around as she ran towards the water, she stumbled over something. She looked down at Orthjolf’s axehead. The hilt was completely gone. A few feet away was a pile of ash. Lying in the middle of the ash pile was Orthjolf’s brooch. With a gasp, Serana realized that the pile of ash was what remained of the other vampire. 

She looked off at Jotunn, her curiosity piqued to the maximum. “How..?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And yes, I know Jotunn is overpowered but hey, so is the Dragonborn in game haha. See if you can spot the little nod in this chapter;) and always, until next time!


	10. Even Bosses Pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn catches up with some old friends on his way to report back to Isran and Lydia gets a unwelcome visit at night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly banter that sheds a little bit of who Jotunn is

CHAPTER TEN

“So let me get this straight: you found a vampire in some old crypt and then took it back to its home on some small island, which turned out to be a big castle full of other vampires. And after chatting with and threatening their leader, you just left?” Brynolf exclaimed as he sat with Jotunn in the Ragged Flagon. 

Brynolf laughed, raising his flagon up in a toast. “Well, Boss, you’re either the luckiest bastard I know, or the craziest.”

Jotunn snickered and brought his own cup to his lips, taking a big swig of ale. 

After a long journey, he’d reached the Rift. Instead of heading straight to Fort Dawnguard however, he went to the Ratway. Partially to gather information but mainly to get a decent drink. And where better than the Ragged Flagon, where one could find every form of drink imaginable, especially the rare and illegally acquired drinks. 

Jotunn reached for another bottle but Vekel snatched it out of his hands. “Just ‘cuz you’re the Boss, doesn’t mean the drinks are free.”

Jotunn frowned. “I don’t see why not. That first bottle I had you said was free.”

Vekel nodded with a glint in his eye. “Aye. I never said anything about the rest of the bottles being free though. I’m trying to run a business here.”

Jotunn gave a short chuckle. “Some business. There’s hardly anyone here.”

Which was untrue. Over the years, the guild had become hugely successful once more under the guidance of Jotunn, and that included the Flagon. Nowadays, the Thieves Guild had great pull as well as eyes and ears everywhere. If there was a secret or expensive item out there, the guild either knew about it or already had it. The vault was practically bursting with coin, gems, and other such riches. Business was booming, and had been booming for years. Even the Flagon was doing well. There was almost never a time when there wasn’t a full house of thieves, thugs, and bastards spending their coin on Vekel’s liquid wares. Even the other merchants of illegally acquired goods were doing great. And just about everyone believed it was Jotunn to have made the golden age come to pass. In fact, some people had even begun comparing him to the Gray Fox. 

“Just give him the septims, will you Boss?” Delvin said from his place at the bar. “Otherwise he’ll complain to me after you leave.”

Jotunn looked at the bald Breton and smiled. “What if that’s what I want?”

Delvin grunted and took another sip from his glass. 

Brynolf chuckled. “What did you do after you left the vampire castle?” He asked.

Jotunn smirked, reluctantly placing a couple more septims on the table for Vekel in order to keep the drinks coming. “Incinerated one of the bloodsuckers that followed me out and attacked me. Left him as a scorch mark on the ground then paddled my way back to the mainland before making my way here for a good drink. Or five.”

Vex laughed as she swaggered up to the table. “Things are never dull for you, huh?”

Jotunn waved at Vekel who came around with another tankard of ale for him after taking his coin. “Until I met Serana, things were mostly dull. Or as dull as things have been in a while.”

Vex held her hands up. “Wait, you learned the vampire’s  _ name _ ? Why? And why agree to help it out anyway?”

Brynolf nodded. “That was going to be my next question.”

Jotunn shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess ‘cuz she didn’t try to kill me the moment we met? And she was nice enough, actually. More mortal than beast as it were.”

Vex grinned and slung an arm around Jotunn’s shoulder drunkenly. “What does that make you? More thieving rat than man?”

“Pretty much.” Was Jotunn’s reply, 

“So what are you going to do now? Besides get drunk off your ass.” Brynolf asked with a smile.

Jotunn pursed his lips. “Suppose I should go tell the people in Fort Dawnguard the news. But only after I have another round or two.”

Delvin laughed from his place at the bar. “Or six. We all know how you are.”

Jotunn sighed. He wasn’t about to disagree with the man when he was telling the truth. He didn’t care though. If ever he needed to have a drink, now was the time. After a long boring journey, he could use the alcohol. 

It was strange. He’d traveled on his own more times than he could count, and yet, this time he had felt lonely. Perhaps he’d missed having someone around to talk to. Or perhaps he’d gotten used to Serana bickering with him. He shrugged. He’d get used to the quiet again eventually. 

Jotunn blinked, snapping himself out of his thoughts. “Anyway, enough talk about me. How’s the Guild been in my absence?” He said, hoping to change the subject. 

Brynolf nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Fine, Boss. You know, just because you aren’t here doesn’t mean the money is going to stop flowing.”

Vex snickered as she sat down beside Jotunn. “Careful now, you’ll hurt his ego.” 

Delvin snorted. “Hurt his ego? You daft? The man’s ego couldn’t be hurt even if some little tyke came in here and stole his trousers off him as he was sitting.”

Jotunn frowned. “Excuse me, but that would only happen if I was passed out drunk.”

Delvin made a ‘there you go’ gesture and downed the remaining ale in his glass. Jotunn snarled, but the others could see a spot of cheer in his eyes. Everyone in the guild knew Jotunn and Delvin liked to try and out talk each other. Sort of like an uncle and nephew might. 

Sighing loudly, Jotunn wearily stood up from his chair and shook his head. The trip, on top of all the ale he’d drank, had made him tired. And though he knew he’d be lucky if he slept longer than a few minutes, it would still be nice to close his eyes and relax. 

He clapped his hands. “Well, I’m going to go find a cot. Thanks for the drinks, Vekel.”

Vekel nodded as he scrubbed down a dirty tankard. “Thanks for the coin.”

Jotunn grinned and made his way through the tunnels to the cistern. Most people were already out and about doing business, but Vipir and Etienne were still there, playing cards. Jotunn nodded to them as he passed them, heading towards one of the many random cots laid about the place. He glanced over at the statue of Nocturnal and winked at it. He doubted she cared, but sometimes it felt like the statue’s eyes would follow him around the cistern. He’d never been able to prove it, but he was sure the daedra kept tabs on him. He snorted.  _ Every god, goddess, and daedric prince keep tabs on me. Probably so that when I die, they can be the one to snatch my soul. Annoying little pests.  _

Jotunn reached the cot he was aiming for and collapsed on top of it. Sighing, he rested his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. He didn’t expect to get any sleep but relaxing for a little bit was still going to be nice. 

As he laid there, his mind inevitably began to wander. He soon found himself wondering what Serana was up to while he lounged around. A part of him hoped that her relationship with her father might one day improve. He breathed heavily.  _ Why do I even care? Chances are I’ll never see her again, so bother wasting time thinking about her?  _ He thought to himself, shaking his head. 

Instead of thinking about his short-term traveling companion, he focused on the familiar scents of the Ratway. Which mainly consisted of skeever shit, piss water, and Riften’s citizen’s shit. It was amazing how the slab of rock that separated the city from the undercity could mask the differing smells so well. When he was above ground, he could almost block out the smells of the Ratway and when he was down in it, he could only just barely smell the slightly more pleasant scents coming from above. Unfortunately, he’d grown used to the gross smells. He blamed it on the simple fact that he’d spent a good portion of time down in the Ratway and so it was only natural to get used to the smells. He did however, envy everyone else; their sense of smell wasn’t nearly as strong as his after all. 

Aela was always asking him why he didn’t just block the smells out, but it was harder said than done. His mouth twitched. He’d like to see Aela try and block the smell of shit out while in the middle of the Ratway. 

His ears suddenly perked up, listening in to what Viper and Etienne were talking about. He wasn’t usually one for eavesdropping, but he was bored. 

“Another one? Damn. How many more attacks are there going to be?” Etienne said.

“Don’t know. All I know is that with every attack, another sorry bastard gets killed, the blood completely drained from them. Blasted vampires people are saying.” Viper said. “Your turn.”

“Oh. Well, I just hope the beasts get bored or full soon. Otherwise they’ll kill all the rich folks out traveling. And then who are we going to rob?”

Viper chuckled. “Each other?”

Etienne grunted. “Nah, that isn’t nearly as fun as stealing some priceless family heirloom or something from some rich narcissistic brat. Shit. How are you so good at this game?”

Another chuckle from Viper. “Same reason why anyone is good at this game. ‘Cuz I cheat.”

Jotunn groaned, reluctantly rising from the cot. The vampire problem was even affecting business? Which more or less forced the issue.  _ Great. I should probably report to the Dawnguard then. Ugh. Listen to me. The famous Dragonborn reporting to a group of hopeful vampire hunters. What has this world come to?  _

Meeko gave a short warning bark as Lydia toiled away, pulling up weeds that had started growing in the small flower bed beside the door to Breezehome. It wasn’t a bark warning of danger, just a little bark to let her know someone was coming. She looked up from the dirt and nodded a greeting to Farkas who was coming up the street. She didn’t bother to rise. Instead, she went back to her gardening, with the sun slowly settling. 

A particularly stubborn strand of crabgrass required her attention. She dug around the stem in an attempt to undermine the roots planted deep in the soil. Having made enough of a disruption, she grabbed hold of the main bulk and pulled. With a grunt of exertion, she yanked the weed out of the dirt and dropped it onto the pile of weeds she’d already ripped up. She wiped her brow with her arm as she looked up at Farkas, who had stepped over to her. 

“Nothing has changed since yesterday, Farkas.” Lydia said curtly. 

Everyday for weeks now, Farkas would ‘stop by’ for a chat. He always said he was just taking a stroll or wanted to say hello. But Lydia knew better. He was checking up on her and making sure she was okay. Probably at the request of Jotunn, who still hadn’t returned from his trip. As if  _ she  _ needed protection. If she had to guess, the vampire attack that one night had concerned Jotunn more than he had let on and he’d asked the Companions to keep an eye on her for him, in case another attack happened. But none had and still, the Companions felt duty bound to send Farkas down to the house at least once a day, if not twice. And frankly, Lydia had gotten tired of it after the third time it happened. It was all so unneeded. 

She grunted as she stood up for her squatting position. At least Farkas gave no indication the meeting wasn’t what it was. 

The big man sniffed. “Just checking. When Jotunn asks me to do something, I do it.”

“Yes, I know. But do you have to do it every day?” In a hushed tone, she said, “I mean, can’t you just smell that I’m fine and that there aren’t any vampires coming to attack?” She was one of the few people outside of the Companion’s inner circle that knew of their ‘wolf-like counterparts.’ Largely because Jotunn had told her not even a week after his first transformation. Something that the inner circle had come to accept only  _ after  _ he had become their Harbinger. 

Farkas shrugged and leaned against the side of the house. “Yeah, I can. But Aela and Vilkas say that isn’t what Jotunn meant.”

Lydia groaned. “Even if he had meant it like that, I can take care of myself. I’m not some delicate flower that needs to be taken care of. Or have you forgotten that bar fight already?” 

Farkas winced, remembering an old black eye she had given him long ago. “I don’t reckon I’ll forget that right hook of yours anytime soon.”

Lydia picked up the bundle of weeds and tossed them into one of the fire pits that lit up the streets at night. The weeds would be burnt up when the fires were lit later. “Exactly. So why insist on coming down here every day to check on me?”

Farkas scratched his beard. “Dunno. I think Aela might be afraid that if she doesn’t send me down here then a blood sucker might slip into the city and kill you and then Jotunn would be pissed off. And no one wants another visit from a pissed off Jotunn.”

Lydia pursed her lips. It was a good point. A pissed off Jotunn was a frightening sight. Luckily, it was a rare sight. 

“In any case, if you must keep checking on me, can you at least do it every other day instead of every day?”

“I guess. Aela isn’t going to like it though.”

“Well then she’s just going to have to deal with it. Or better yet, if she’s so concerned then she should be the one to check on me.” 

Filkas nodded. “Yeah. She should. I’m missing dinner with everyone for this.”

Lydia blinked at him. “You know you can eat whenever you want, right? It doesn’t have to be with the other Companions.”

He shrugged. “It isn’t the same. Well I’ll leave then. I don’t smell anything out of the ordinary. Bye Meeko.” He said before trudging away. Meeko gave a friendly bark after him. 

Lydia rolled her eyes and ushered the dog back inside where she made a meal of beef stew. She dropped a bowl of the food on the floor for Meeko, who gobbled it up eagerly. Then she made a bowl for herself and sat down at the table, looking at Jotunn’s empty chair. It hadn’t yet been two months since he had left, but she was still skeptical. He had disappeared on her before. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again? In fact, the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Jotunn had always been a man that liked his privacy and now that Skyrim knew the famous Dragonborn had returned, that privacy was walking a thin line on thin ice. It would be just like him to simply leave again for a while and let all the commotion of his return die down. 

She sighed. It was best to give up on trying to think of what he would do. She learned a long time ago to never try and predict what Jotunn might do. No matter her prediction, he always found a way to surprise her. 

As she chewed on some fat, letting the favorable juice gather under her tongue, there was a sudden knock on the door. Meeko hadn’t given the warning growl and so it wasn’t anyone unfamiliar. 

Lydia placed her bowl down on the table and rose. Swinging the door open, she was met by Aela who had her bow slung over her shoulder and her dagger at her side. The redhead smiled at Lydia. 

“I took your advice. So now I’m going to be sleeping here with you until Jotunn gets back to tell me to stop.” She said, too cheerfully.

Lydia moaned and shut the door in Aela’s face. “Shit.”

From the other side of the door, she heard Aela say, “I’ll let myself in then.”

Lydia cursed. “I swear, when that idiot gets back, I’ll wring his neck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ye enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be more plot stuff most likely. Maybe or maybe not much learn more about Jotunn’s upbringing but I don’t know haha. Until then:)


	11. It’s Always Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn shows off his power to the Dawnguard and Serana has a chat with her father before making a fateful decision

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Rargal tells me you’ve been speaking to the thralls.”

Serana blinked as she stood before her father in his study. It had been a week since Jotunn left and she had done next to nothing since. She had spent her time mindlessly walking around the castle grounds and looking through the library, bored. The Elder Scroll hadn’t left her side; she didn’t trust anyone not to steal it when she wasn’t looking. Though thankfully, most of the others in the court left her alone, largely because they were all so engrossed in their own little schemes to win her father’s favor. And before today, her father hadn’t spoken to her once. She’d been in the thrall dungeon talking to one of the humans the court kept around for food when Garan had told her she’d been summoned by Harkon. So she had gone up to her father's study and waited for him to say something. 

“Yeah?”

Harkon tapped on his chair over and over again with his fingernails. “Why are you talking to the food?”

“Why am I talking to the food?” Serana said, confused.

Her father sighed. “Yes, do not make me repeat myself.”

Serana frowned. “Because they’re people? I think they deserve to have a normal conversation every now and then between being fed on by everyone.”

“And why is that? Are they not our slaves? Mortals? Come, Serana. We are above them. They serve no purpose other than to sate our hunger and they seek to destroy us.”

Serana huffed. “What’s wrong with mortals? Were we not mortal once? And besides, they aren’t all bad and out for our deaths. I’ve met some good ones.”

Harkon chuckled quietly. “Ah, yes. The mortal that saved you. This Jotunn. Your savior,” He stood up from his chair and stepped closer to the burning fireplace, holding his hands behind his back. “Tell me, daughter. What do you know of your savior?”

Serana frowned, leaning back on one foot and crossing her arms. “I know he’s a good person and a werewolf. Why? Is that what this is about? Are you upset that a mere wolf-man was able to find and rescue me and not one of your lackeys?”

Though he had his back to her, she noticed her father tense at her words. Which all but proved that she was correct. “Why do you want to know about him?”

“I don’t. I already know about him. I am asking you what  _ you  _ know about him.” Was Harkon’s reply.

Serana groaned and turned to leave. “Whatever. I see this chat was pointless.”

“Wait.” Her father ordered. “Are you not the least bit curious about exactly who your savior is?”

Serana held her nose up even though he wasn’t facing her. “Yes, I am. But if you do know something about him I don’t, I do not want to learn it from you. I’d rather learn about him from him.”

Harkon sighed and turned around to look at her, his gaze boring into her. “This Jotunn...I have heard tales of him over the last few years. He is more than just a powerful werewolf. He is—.”

“I don’t care.” Serana interjected. “I don’t care what he really is. All I care about is that he helped me. He helped me more in the short time I knew him than you have in my entire life. And yes, he’s a mortal and a mangy dog. But he’s also interesting. And something is telling me that whatever he is, he makes you nervous. Which I for one, don’t mind at all. Now, with zero due respect, fuck off.” She said before storming off.

Harkon watched her go and after the door slammed behind her, he smirked. “Oh daughter, if you only knew what manner of creature let you out of that crypt. What creature you seem to think has befriended you. What dangerous beast he really is.”

Jotunn stared at the butterfly that had landed on his arm. It had landed on him as he was walking towards the cave leading to Fort Dawnguard. Instead of flicking it away, he paused to let it be. It was cute, sort of. Mainly because most insects he encountered were huge and also trying to kill him. 

“Hey little fella. Needed a moment to rest, huh?” He asked the butterfly, which of course, didn’t reply. He snickered. “Yeah. Me too.”

He waited until the butterfly moved on before moving on himself, albeit begrudgingly. He wasn’t looking forward to giving the news to Isran. It wasn’t exactly like he could just show up and say, ‘Hey, Talon is dead and I met a bunch of powerful vampires in a far away castle that now have an Elder Scroll.’ Something told him that would not go over well. 

As he reached the cave entrance, he froze. He’d picked up a scent on the wind. The scent of vampires. And it was coming from the fort. Cursing, he hurried through the cave and out into the canyon. Breaking off at a run, he ran to the fort as quickly as possible, drawing his swords as he drew near. Already, he could hear the fighting. Running up to the walls near the front doors, he rounded the corner of the path and ran into a small group of maybe nine vampires fighting a smaller force of Dawnguard members. The Dawnguard fighting the vampires were led by Isran, who was cast in some sort of sphere of light as he hammered a vampire to death with his giant maul. Even though it looked like the Dawnguard had the situation under control, Jotunn still figured he should step in and help.  _ Maybe I’ll get a medal. _

He charged at the closest vampire who happened to be in the middle of fighting Durak. The vampire never noticed Jotunn until his blade sank into her back. She crumpled to dust as most vampires did upon death. Jotunn winked at Durak, not realizing he still had on his mask and so the Orc couldn’t see the action. 

Jotunn leaped around the Orc and blocked a strike from a vampire thrall then slashed the thrall’s throat. Moving on, Jotunn threw one of his swords at a vampire sneaking up on Isran from behind. The vampire fell with Jotunn’s sword jutting out from his chest. Jotunn grinned. It had taken him a long time to learn that throw. 

He went to retrieve his sword as the final vampire was killed by Celann. The Dawnguard set about cleaning up the piles of vampire ash, a job Jotunn was glad to be left out of doing. Isran stepped up to him, the sphere of light having already faded. 

“Thanks for the assist.” Isran said gruffly. Jotunn nodded and Isran grunted. “Look at this. I should’ve known it was only a matter of time before they found us. It’s the price we pay for openly recruiting. We’ll have to step up our defenses. Why are you alone? Where’s Talon?”

Jotunn took off his mask and shook his head somberly. “He didn’t make it. He rushed off ahead of me once we reached the crypt and died fighting a few lesser vampires. I made sure his killers followed him into death, however.”

Isran nodded, rubbing his chin. “Sad, but not unexpected. He was a good man. I don’t suppose you have any good news for me then?”

Jotunn frowned. “I have news, but I wouldn’t call it good. Definitely not cheerful news either.”

Isran snorted. “Of course. Why did I hope differently? Fine, tell me what you know.”

“Well for starters, the vampires were looking for a woman trapped in Dimhollow.”

Isran grunted again. “A woman? Trapped in there? That doesn’t make any sense. Who is she? More importantly,  _ where  _ is she?”

“She was a vampire; a really old and powerful one. Also quite civil. When she wasn’t being annoying at least. Anyway, she wanted to go home so I took her home to her castle. Which turned out to be a castle full of other old powerful vampires.”

Isran frowned. “I’m waiting to hear what any of this means.”

“Oh yeah, they also now have an Elder Scroll which was with the woman.” Jotunn said. 

“They what?” Choked out Isran. “And you didn’t stop them? You didn’t secure the scroll? Or even try to take it from the woman?” He yelled angrily. 

Jotunn shrugged. “She didn’t attack me on sight and she seemed normal—for a vampire I mean. Besides, there were a lot of vampires in that castle and only one of me. I’m good, but I didn’t want the castle collapsing on top of me as I dealt with them all.”

Isran sighed, rubbing his temple. “So they have everything what they wanted, and we’re left with nothing. By the Divines, this couldn’t get much worse. This is more than you and I can handle.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Clearly you don’t know who you’re talking to. But what? You just going to give up?”

“When did I say that?” Snarled Isran. “We just need...we need help. If they’re bold enough to attack us here, then this may be bigger than I thought. I have good men here, but...Hmm. There are people I’ve met and worked with over the years. We need their skills, their talents, if we’re going to survive this. If you can find them, we might have a chance.”

Jotunn sighed. “Great. More fetching. Are you going to tell me who these people are, or am I going to have to guess and hope for the best?”

Isran’s eyes narrowed. “Right to the point, aren’t you? I like that. Could do with less attitude but I can deal with that. Alright we should keep it small. Too many people and we’ll draw attention to the fort. I think we’ll need Sorine Jurard. Breton girl, whip-smart and good with tinkering. Fascination with the Dwemer. Weapons in particular. Last I know, she was out in the Reach, convinced she was about to find the biggest dwarven ruins yet.”

“And she’ll help the Dawnguard?”

“Might need a little convincing, but she should. You’ll also want to find Gunmar. Big brute of a Nord, hates vampires almost as much as I do. Got it into his head years back that his experience with animals would help. Trolls from what I hear. Last I know, he was out scouting Skyrim for more beasts to tame. Bring the two of them back here and we can get started on coming up with a plan. Now get going, recruit.”

Jotunn cleared his throat and didn’t budge. “Before I do anything, Isran, you and I have to get something clear. I’m not a recruit and I don’t work for the Dawnguard or you. I have more experience than you so I’ll help advise and I’ll help hunt vampires, but I’m not a wide eyed recruit.”

“You? Advise me? What makes you think you have more experience with vampires than me?”

Jotunn smiled. “Normally I don’t tell people this, but I’m the Dragonborn.”

Isran burst out laughing. “Oh of course! And I’m the Argonian queen of Oblivion. Quit joking and get to work.”

Jotunn raised an eyebrow at the Redguard. Then he cleared his throat. “FUS!” He said calmly. As he hadn’t done the whole Shout, or even truly shouted it, it’s power was greatly lessened. But there was still enough force in the word to shove Isran to the ground and several feet away. The other members of the Dawnguard all jumped and turned towards the two of them, not entirely believing what had just happened. Isran didn’t move for a moment as he just stared at Jotunn, a look of utter shock plastered across his face. He regained his composure quickly, however, and when he did so, he stood up and brushed himself off. He nodded to Jotunn. “Right. Thank you for the help, Dragonborn. Please do whatever you can to assist us. And please, don’t let me stop you from doing what you do best.”

Jotunn snorted and put his mask back on. “Which is saving the day. As always. What else would people need of me?”

Jotunn spun on his heel and started to walk away, not giving Isran any time to respond. He nodded to Durak as he passed by. He was surprised the Orc hadn’t already told his comrades who he was. Intended or not, he appreciated the respect of his privacy. 

Jotunn could feel the eyes of everyone gathered on his back as he walked away, but he ignored the feeling. 

He would have to check his networks and see if there were any sightings of the two people Isran had described. It would save him a lot of time and energy finding them that way, instead of roaming around the countryside hoping to bump into them. Plus, now he had an excuse to return to the Ragged Flagon and drink more. And it might give him time to send a letter to Lydia, who was no doubt fuming that he hadn’t returned yet. She was owed an explanation for the delay at the very least. He smiled.  _ Otherwise, she’ll kill me when I get back to Breezehome. Actually, now that I think about it, she’d probably kill me on principle anyway.  _

Jotunn exited the canyon and began walking along the road that would take him back to Riften. There was no need for a map; he knew the land like the back of his hand. 

He sniffed. There was a traveler coming down the road about a mile ahead of him. “I’ll have to walk off the road in a bit if I want to avoid him.” He said aloud. 

Jotunn frowned. “Ugh. Now I’m talking to myself to fill the silence. Thanks a lot, stupid vampire.”

Serana peered at the scroll, studying it closely at the table in her old room. She didn’t dare open it, for fear of going mad or blind or some other horrible after effects of reading an Elder Scroll. She didn’t know much of anything about the Scrolls, save that they were extremely powerful and not to be played with. And honestly, she didn’t even know exactly why her mother had insisted she be locked away with one, only that her father could never get it. And she had brought the blasted thing to him. 

She’d seen how hungrily he had looked at it when she first returned. She’d seen how she was an afterthought after having the precious scroll in his possession. How he had cared more about the scroll’s safe return rather than hers. She would ask him why had he not been obviously obsessed with it. Besides, she’d already heard all his talk about how the Elder Scroll was the key to that obscure prophecy of his. He was crazy about the thing, but she didn’t quite know what it had to do with his prophecy. What she did know though, was that her mother had done everything in her power to keep this scroll away from her father. And some sixth sense was telling her to do the same. 

Serana rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.  _ I wish I knew more about Elder Scrolls. It’s not like I know anyone that knows anything about them though.  _ She hummed thoughtfully to herself.  _ Wait. Didn’t Jotunn recognize what the scroll was immediately? And he did help me get here...Maybe he might help me again to figure out what to do with father.  _

She balled her fists. Of course, she had no clue where the werewolf had gone to after he left the castle. He could be anywhere in Skyrim by now. 

Then she remembered something he had said when they first met. Something about a group he worked with called the Dawnguard? She grunted.  _ Maybe if I can find this Dawnguard group, I can find Jotunn. I’m sure he’s told them about me by now so they probably won’t try to kill me. Probably.  _

Serana clapped her hands together, rising from her chair and grabbing the Scroll. She returned it to its usual place on her back and grabbed her dagger and hooked it to her belt. Then she wrapped her cloak around her and lifted the cowl over her face. She didn’t need anything else aside from the clothes she already had on. The benefits of being a vampire: she could travel light. 

She quietly stepped out the door and took one last look at her room. She didn’t imagine she’d see it again for a while. 

Walking quickly and silently, she slipped out of the castle. Only Ronthil noticed her but she told him she was going out to stretch her legs and the naive elf nodded in understanding. Exiting the castle, she crossed the bridge and took a deep breath.  _ Well, this should be interesting.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter! What are you thinking of the story so far? I’m curious :)   
> Next chapter should be a little longer and should have a little less dialogue in it. Or at least less game plot dialogue haha  
> Until next time! ;)


	12. A Nord and a Crazy Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn finds Gunmar and Sorine and talks to himself. We learn a little more about his life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of the story, Shadowmere can be summoned sort of like how you first meet her in game in the pool. (And Jotunn can basically transform as many times as he wants to)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Finding Gunmar and Sorine turned out to be easier than Jotunn had originally thought. His sources told him Sorine was just past Karthwasten studying some dwarven ruins near there and Gunmar had apparently been sighted in the southern part of the Rift, looking into a bear problem in some cave. So when Jotunn found out where they were, he set off to convince them to help the Dawnguard. The plan was to get Gunmar first as he was closest and then go find Sorine. Then meet back up at the fort. That is if he was able to convince them to help out, although he was confident he’d be able to. He was nothing if not persuasive. 

Finding Gunmar was especially easy. All he had to do was roam around south of Riften and after a couple days, he picked up on the scent of a man poking around a cave. Though he almost missed the scent as the man also smelled strongly of mud. And assuming that the average hunter wouldn’t willingly scout out a cave of wolves, Jotunn figured that this was his man. As it turned out, his hunch was right. 

He snuck up behind the man, already having taken his mask off. Isran was right; the man was huge, with muscles that were barely contained in the scaled armor he wore. He had long red hair that went past his shoulders and a large red beard that hung low off his chin. He held a steel sword as he crouched behind some bushes about twenty feet from the cave’s entrance. Jotunn nodded as he drew closer. The man had smeared himself with mud which was the reason why Jotunn had almost missed his scent. And he imagined that if he almost missed it, the wolves inside the cave most likely had missed the man’s scent. As for his own smell, he probably smelled like another wolf or a stray dog more than he smelled like a human. But the fact that the man had thought to mask his scent with mud meant that he knew what he was doing. Not many big game hunters did in Jotunn’s experience.

“Don’t freak out, but are you Gunmar?” He whispered. 

Gunmar slowly turned around to face him, his sword going up cautiously. “By the Eight, how did you sneak up on me?” He snapped. “Who are you? Never mind, just keep your voice down. I’ve tracked this damn wolf pack for two weeks; I’ll not let them have any more victims.”

Jotunn smiled. “We have bigger problems than some tiny wolf pack. Isran needs your help.”

Gunmar frowned. “Isran? Needing someone else’s help? Never thought I’d hear that. I’m afraid he’s a few years too late. I’ve moved on. I have more important matters to attend to now. Besides, he can handle anything alone. He assumed me so himself. What could he possibly need my help with?”

“We’re up against ancient vampires.”

“Vampires?”

Jotunn sighed. “Yes, that’s what I said. Pay attention.”

Gunmar scratched his beard. “That...well, that might change things. Tell me more about what’s going on.”

“Isran and I aren’t sure, but they have an Elder Scroll. So there’s that.”

Gunmar’s eyes went big. “By the Eight...Alright, look. I’ll consider it, but I can’t just leave these wolves to prey on more innocent people. Once they are dealt with, then perhaps I’ll see what Isran expects of me.”

Jotunn slowly stood up from his crouch. “I’ll deal with the wolves. It’ll be quicker anyway. You stay here and I’ll be right back.” Jotunn said before leaving Gunmar there and moving into the cave. By the time it registered in Gunmar’s mind, the other man was already in the cave. The growls and threatening barks of wolves could be heard coming from the cave. Gunmar rose and was about to charge into the cave and help, when he heard a howl cone from the cave. A howl that was unlike any howl he had ever heard come from a wolf. In fact, he wasn’t even sure it had come from a wolf. It sounded too guttural. He’d heard many wolf howls in his time, but not like this one. This howl was no wolf’s. 

Seconds after the howl, the wolves' loud growls ceased. 

A minute later, the other man calmly stepped out of the cave, brushing some dirt off his mask. Gunmar stared at him. Jotunn blinked back at him, as if nothing strange had happened.

“The wolves won’t be a problem anymore.” Jotunn said cheerfully. 

“B-but...What just happened? What was that terrifying howl just now?”

Jotunn shrugged. “Oh, that. I had a little chat with our four legged friends and told them not to attack any more people. They got nasty so I threatened them and then they agreed to my terms.”

Gunmar frowned. “You had a chat with them? You aren’t serious, are you?”

Jotunn laughed. “Of course not! You think I can hold a conversation with wolves? That’s absurd. No, you probably just heard me yelling at them as I killed them. Those cave walls can make sounds weird, huh? Anyway, the wolves are dead.”

Gunmar cleared his throat, nodding. The wolves were dead. That was the important part. “Don’t know how well I’d have managed by myself. You have my thanks. You’ve helped me, so I suppose the least I can do is find out what Isran wants. He’s still at that fort near Stendarr’s Beacon, I assume?”

“Yes, at Fort Dawnguard. Though you can take your time getting there. I still need to recruit one more person and then I’ll meet you there. Isran probably wants to make the place look nice and tough before he has visitors.”

Gunmar chuckled. “Aye. Well, I’ll meet you there.” The Nord said before walking away. 

Jotunn waited until he was far enough away before giving a short whistle and turned back towards the cave. A pack of thirteen wolves crept out of the cave, all looking to Jotunn curiously. Though he smelled the same as he had a few minutes ago, he no longer looked the same as he had in the cave. 

Jotunn growled and the pack left, heading in the opposite direction of Gunmar. As the wolves disappeared from his sight, he sighed. He had been worried that Gunmar would want to check if he had indeed killed the pack, but luckily for him, the Nord had believed him. He could have easily killed the pack and been done with it, only he tended to try and avoid killing wolves. Not because he was a werewolf though. Even before he became a werewolf, he always tried not to kill wolves. Wolves were highly intelligent and in their own way, very kind and nurturing. Jotunn didn’t see any point in killing every wolf he came across. Thus, the slight deception.

_ I’d count this as a good day. Everyone wins: Gunmar doesn’t have to worry about this pack attacking people anymore and the pack gets to go on living. Good job, me. Now to find Sorine. _

Which was going to take a long time. He could ask Odahviing for a favor and fly to the Reach, but Odahviing would complain the entire time. Instead, Jotunn decided on another means of transportation. His trusty steed. 

At his call, a pool of dark liquid formed in front of him and Shadowmere rose out of it, neighing and tilting her head in greeting. Jotunn smiled as he stepped up to her and patted her neck. “Hey girl, it’s been a while. Want to go on a run?”

Shadowmere kneaded at the ground with her hooves in anticipation of going for a nice run. Jotunn only ever summoned her when he needed to travel fast and it had been a long time since he last rode. He loved his trusty stubborn steed, but he preferred to walk places if he could help it; Shadowmere reminded him too much about the past. 

He swung his legs up over her back and got situated in the saddle, sliding his feet into the stirrups. Clicking his tongue, Shadowmere broke off at a trot that gradually changed into a full on gallop. Jotunn cursed and hurriedly put his mask back on to block out the wind. Already, the wind racing past them was making his eyes water.  _ You’d think spending a lifetime in Skyrim would get me used to having wind in my eyes, but no.  _ He mused to himself as he rode. 

Glancing away from the dirt path, he looked up at the sky, confident that Shadowmere didn’t actually need him in order to steer. She wouldn’t let him fall anyway. 

A few puffy clouds rolled lazily across the sky, briefly shielding the sun as they passed by in front of it. A hawk was circling over some unlucky prey down below. And a couple leaves were being carried by the wind, soaring high into the dazzling blue sky. It was a beautiful day. And yet, it didn’t seem that way to Jotunn. He always got a bad taste in his mouth after transforming. Like a skooma addict after the fix wore off. Every time he transformed, even if it was for just a minute, he would worry that it’d end up as a repeat of  _ that  _ time. He would never forgive himself for what happened then. He’d take the guilt to his grave, pride be damned. 

He shook his head. There was no point dwelling on past mistakes. Doing so would only forge new ones. 

Jotunn looked back to the path as the woods raced past him. Soon, they reached the main road and Shadowmere turned westward. For the next several hours, Jotunn rode, following the main road that would lead him to Markarth. As night fell, he finally tugged on the reins and drew Shadowmere to a halt. She definitely could have kept going, but his backside needed to recover from being hunched over most of the day. Lurching out of the saddle, he stretched, listening to the small cracks his back made as he stretched to his full height. Giving a great sigh, he scratched behind Shadowmere’s ears which earned him a short happy neigh. 

He smiled. “Thanks for the help. Want to stick here with me or go do your own thing?” 

Shadowmere pawed at the ground with her front hooves and bobbed her head up and down in response. Jotunn patted her neck. “Thanks. I could do with the company tonight.”

Jotunn led her off the road under a patch of trees. Thankfully, he found a somewhat flat spot to sit and leaned against a tree. This close to the road, he didn’t want to light a fire or else risk being seen. Not that there was anyone nearby to see him. Shadowmere began to graze close by, quietly nibbling on the grass. Jotunn sighed. He was bored. As sad as it was, he’d gotten used to the almost constant bickering and source of entertainment that the vampire had brought to his travels. It had been nice having someone to pass the time with while waiting for the sun to rise. He could keep riding if need be, but he wanted to give his tired muscles a chance to rest. 

He shook his head, annoyed with himself. There he was again, thinking of that vampiress. He didn’t know why his mind kept going back to her, and he didn’t care enough to find out why. He was more annoyed that he didn’t think to just steal the Elder Scroll from her at some point during their travels and ditch her. At least then he wouldn’t be involved in this whole Dawnguard versus vampire drama. But since he was the reason why those vampires had a Scroll and he didn’t know what they planned on doing with it, he figured he might as well try and make it up to the Dawnguard and help them out. The chances were that next time he saw that vampire, he’d have to kill her anyway. And for whatever stupid reason, that just pissed him off.  _ What was she even doing with an Elder Scroll, anyway? It isn’t like she could read it in that dark tight monolith so why did she have it in the first place? Know what? It doesn’t matter. I’ll just find this Sorine woman and then the scroll will be the Dawnguard’s problem to deal with. Ugh. I should have just stayed on vacation.  _

That had been the problem with Skyrim ever since it was revealed that he was the Dragonborn: every day brought a new problem with it. A new bad guy that wanted to kill him or a new catastrophe to avert. Everyone always wanted something from him, be it his help or to use him and no one ever just left him alone. It was so tiring. He’d saved the world countless times and no one ever just let him relax for a while. Which was one of the reasons why he had left Skyrim all those years ago. Well, that, and to have some good old fashioned fun. Fighting vampires and idiots was not what he called fun.  _ Honestly, I’d rather hang out with Sheogorath again than all this crap. At least that crazy bastard kept me on my toes. _

The real problem however, was that no one knew how much of a strain it put on him, always having to save the day. Day in and day out he was in the thick of it, saving lives and saving the day. It was exhausting. And no one truly understood him. No one truly knew what it was like. 

He clenched his fists, his knuckles going white. Then Shadowmere bumped her head against his side and startled him out of his thoughts. He smiled and rubbed her head. “Thanks, girl.” 

She snorted in his face. 

A few days later saw them nearing Ivarstead. Jotunn almost considered stopping by the monastery but ultimately decided against it. He hadn’t been there in years and he hadn’t exactly been a prime pupil to the old Greybeards anyway. They never did approve of his history and so he had always messed with them. Borri was alright though. He could at least take a joke. 

So he simply stopped by the tavern for some supplies and after a quick conversation with Klimmek, was on his way once more. The faster he brought Sorine to Fort Dawnguard, the faster he could go home. 

He’d ride to Markarth to resupply and then move on to the areas Sorine had been sighted in. After convincing her to help the Dawnguard and traveling back to the fort to see the job done, then he was finished helping. It was about time saving the world was someone else’s problem. 

The Last Dragonborn couldn’t be the only solution to everything, after all. It was almost like people had to learn how to rely on themselves again. 

Jotunn wished things were different. He wished he was still some poor unimportant thief, stealing in order to survive. But fate had another plan for him. It had somehow been simpler. And sure, the friends and riches that came with being the famed Dragonborn was nice and all, but not having to deal with constant life threatening events was nicer. 

He grunted as he rode. “Who knew being poor and destitute was simpler than having everything? Great, now I’m talking to myself. Again. I’m one random song and dance away from going crazy. You don’t think I’m going crazy, do you Shadowmere?”

Shadowmere nodded her head enthusiastically. 

Jotunn sighed. “Thanks a lot. Traitor.” She gave a loud snort and he was pretty sure she was laughing at him. 

“Please tell me you are Sorine.” Jotunn said to the woman as she studied a dwemer pillar with rain coming down around them. She wore leather armor and had short brown hair. Her eyes were inquisitive and full of wonder. A few freckles dotted her cheeks. An axe was at her side and in her hands was some dwarven machine thing. She took the arrival of a strange man asking about her in stride, nodding and smiling at him. 

“Yes, I am. You wouldn’t happen to have seen a sack of dwarven gyros lying around, have you? I swear I left it right here. Ah! Do you think mud crabs might’ve taken it? I saw one the other day...Wouldn’t be surprised if it followed me here.”

Jotunn opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. “Well, don’t just stand there. Have a look about.”

Jotunn blinked. “Um, I’m not here to help you find gyros. Isran asked me to find you. He—.”

“Isran?” Sorine said with a snort. “Wants me? No, you must be mistaken. He made it clear last time we spoke that he had no interest in my help. He said some very hurtful things to me before I left. Besides, I’m quite happy where I am. So if you’ll excuse me, I have a sack of gyros to find.”

Jotunn sighed. “He needs your help. Vampires threaten all of Skyrim.”

Sorine nodded, looking almost proud of herself. “Vampires? Really? Oh, and I suppose  _ now  _ he remembers that I proposed no less than three different scenarios that involved vampires overrunning the population. Well, what are they up to?”

_ Sheesh, this woman is nutty. Or energetic. Or both.  _

“They have an Elder Scroll. That’s about all we know.” He wasn’t about to tell her that they had a scroll because of him. 

Sorine frowned. “I...Hmm. Well, that’s actually something I never would have anticipated. Interesting. I’m not sure what they would need one for, but in this case Isran is probably correct in thinking it isn’t good. All right. I’m in. If nothing else, I might learn more about what’s going on and how to better defend myself. But before I go, I need at least one gyro. I’m not leaving without one.”

Jotunn groaned. “Look, if I help you find one, will you promise not to want to travel to Fort Dawnguard together?” She nodded and he sighed in relief. 

He was desperate for a companion but something told him if she traveled with him, she’d talk his ears off and he’d end up killing her in annoyance. And he really didn’t feel like having to tell Isran that. The man was sulky and pissed off enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay hope you enjoyed this chapter! For some reason I really like how the wolf cave part turned out. Anyway, I hope you are liking the story so far! Until next time:)


	13. Blasted Prophecies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn returns to Fort Dawnguard to find a surprise guest waiting for him. Serana’s curiosity about her rescuer increases ever more

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Fort Dawnguard’s new defenses were shabby at best and almost laughable at worst. Jotunn arrived at the fort to see the Dawnguard had put up wooden stake barricades before a reasonably tall wall made of logs, with their ends sharpened into tips. The ramparts had been improved as well, built high enough so that any decent archer could get a few shots in over the walls. A few soldiers patrolled the grounds, with at least three people up on the side walls at all times, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. The new defenses would hold up well against normal foes, but definitely not against vampires, should any attack the fort again. Contradictory to popular belief, vampires weren’t especially afraid of pointy sticks. Not to mention that vampires can turn invisible and some can even pass through objects as if they were mist. So a few stakes in the dirt weren’t going to pose much of a threat.  _ As for the walls… _ Jotunn thought to himself.  _ Well, they  _ are  _ vampires. Since when have walls stopped them before? _

He sighed as he walked along the dirt path up to the main doors to the fort. These so called vampire hunters didn’t just want his help; they  _ needed  _ his help. Especially if they didn’t think to themselves that their wooden sticks weren’t going to do much. If Harkon’s court of vampires were anything like him, the fort’s defenses wouldn’t hold up for five minutes if they decided to attack. 

As he pushed open the doors to the fort and stepped inside, he snorted. At least the inside looked a little better. Less cobwebs anyhow.

For some reason, the fort seemed darker than before. As if someone had blown out a bunch of the candles and torches. The good news though, was that both Sorine and Gunmar had made it. Jotunn had met them outside of the canyon and had sent them in before him. He hadn’t wanted to send Shadowmere away in front of them. The act might have freaked them out. 

The two were standing in some kind of circle carved into the ground under the circular balcony when Jotunn joined them. And standing, looking down at them was Isran. “Good. You all made it.”

Gunmar looked up at the older man. “All right, Isran. You’ve got us here. Now what do you want?”

Isran pushed something attached to the balcony and suddenly, the circle lit up with yellow light. Rays of light shone up from under their feet, making Jotunn squint. 

Sorine shielded her eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Just making sure you aren’t vampires.” Isran said before pushing the thing again and making the almost blinding light vanish. “Good. You’re all clean,” He spread his hands. “So, welcome to Fort Dawnguard. I’m sure you’ve heard a bit of what we’re up against. Powerful vampires, unlike anything we’ve seen before. And they have an Elder Scroll. But if anyone is going to stand in their way, it’s going to be us.”

Sorine snorted. “This is all well and good, but do we actually know anything about what they’re doing? What do we do now?”

“We’ll get to that. First, get acquainted with the space. Sorine, you’ll find room to start tinkering on that crossbow design you’ve been working on. Gunmar, there’s an area large enough for you to pen up some trolls, get them armored up and ready for use,” Isran said and Gunmar and Sorine moved off, saying something about how bossy the new boss was. Then Isran turned his attention finally to Jotunn who grinned at him. Only Isran was not grinning back. “In the meantime, we’re going to get to the bottom of why a vampire showed up here looking for you. Let’s go have a little chat with it, shall we?” 

Jotunn blinked.  _ Vampire? What vampire? _ Though now that he thought about it, he had smelled dead blood earlier. He’d just marked it off as someone possibly skinning some game or cooking, but it had apparently been this vampire Isran spoke of. And that alone was strange. If Isran hated vampires so much, why did he even stop to let the vampire state it’s business?

Shrugging, Jotunn walked over to one of the side staircases and made his way up to the second floor. Reaching the balcony, he walked around it until he joined Isran who was waiting for him with a scowl on his face. Isran nodded towards a side room and Jotunn followed him through a room with a big bed in it. There was a smaller room attached to the main one and they entered it. As they walked in, the first thing to catch Jotunn’s eye was the stretching rack in the corner of the room, with several human skulls with long fangs lined up behind it. Jotunn swiveled his head and his jaw hit the ground. 

At the back of the obvious torture room and illuminated by candlelight, was Serana. She was unarmed, wearing the same clothes he’d last seen her in. The Elder Scroll was still on her back. She gave him a toothy smile as he stared at her, surprised. 

Isran grunted as he looked at them both. “This vampire showed up while you were away. And judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing it’s the one you found in Dimhollow Crypt. Says it’s got something really important to say to you. So let’s hear it, vampire.” He said gruffly.

Serana rolled her eyes at Isran before smiling again at Jotunn. “You probably weren’t expecting to see me again, huh?”

Jotunn snickered. “Not even a little bit. I gotta admit, I’m surprised. So what are you doing here? Looking for me?”

Serana snorted. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather not be here either. But I needed to talk to you. It’s important, so please just listen before your friend, here, loses his patience.”

Jotunn blinked. “He’s not my friend. More like business associate.”

Serana chuckled. “Right. Something tells me he doesn’t have many friends.”

When Jotunn shook his head, Isran growled. “Just tell us why you came, fiend.”

Serana cleared her throat. “It’s...well, it’s about me. And the Elder Scroll buried with me.”

“What about you?” Jotunn asked.

“The reason why I was down there...and why I had the Scroll. It all comes back to my father. I’m guessing you figured this part out when you met him, but my father’s not exactly a good person. Even by vampire standards. Which is  _ a  _ reason why I left the castle. But he wasn’t always an ass. There was...a turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just kind of lost himself in it.”

Jotunn sighed. “Great. Another blasted prophecy. And so what, he went nuts about this thing I take it?”

She nodded. “He just became...obsessed. It was kind of sick, actually.”

“And what does this prophecy state? That one day a giant boat will fly out of the sky shooting down barres of treats?”

Serana’s mouth twitched. “Nothing quite as nice as that. It said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. For someone who fancied himself as vampire royalty, that’s pretty seductive. Anyway, my mother didn’t feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so she tried to stop him. That’s why I was sealed away with the Scroll; to try and keep it away from him, knowing he’d never hurt me.”

Isran sighed, growing impatient. “What’s all this shit have to do with the Dawnguard?”

Serana turned a steely gaze on him. “I’m sorry, I had heard there were vampire hunters here. I thought they might like to know about a vampire plot to enslave the rest of the world.” Isran grew silent, stepping out of the room for a moment. Serana looked back to Jotunn who was wondering about something.

“How’d you even find the place?”

Serana shrugged. “Well I remembered when we first met you said something about a group called the Dawnguard. And when I got back to the mainland, it wasn’t hard to dig around and find where the Dawnguard were. I figured it was my best bet at finding you and so I came here. And now here we are.”

Jotun pursed his lips. “You took a big risk coming here. Especially cuz I almost didn’t decide to keep helping the Dawnguard.”

The vampiress nodded. “You’re right, I did. But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I’m not wrong.”

Jotunn shook his head. “No, you’re right. Now I just have to convince Isran and the others that you are on their side.”

Serana clapped her hands together. “Great. I’m nothing if not persuasive.” 

Jotunn held his hands up. “I’ll talk to Isran. You wait here.” Serana scowled but didn’t move as Jotunn left the room to talk to Isran in his bedroom. 

Isran had his arms crossed and was leaning against a wall. He grunted. “All right, you’ve heard what it has to say. Now tell me, is there any reason I shouldn’t kill this bloodsucking fiend right now?”

Jotunn snickered. “First off, she can still hear you. Secondly, you need to set aside your hatred and try to see the larger picture, Isran. I’ve traveled with her and she’s not some evil monster. A little annoying but definitely not a fiend.” He smiled to himself as he heard Serana give a huff in the other room. 

Isran growled. “Set my hatred aside? Not a chance. It’s what keeps me strong.”

Jotunn sighed. “Alright. You don’t trust her, fine. Trust me then. I believe her.”

Isran frowned. “Fine,” he snarled. Only because it’s you. But you’d better know what you’re doing.”

Jotunn grinned. “I never do.”

Isran didn’t even blink. Instead, he started to walk back into the smaller room. “It can stay for now, but if it so much as lays a finger in anyone here, I’ll hold you responsible. Got it?” The Breton eyed Serana as he stood before her, with Jotunn following him into the room. “You hear that? Don’t feel like a guest, because you’re not. You’re a resource. You’re an asset. In the meantime, don’t make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it.”

Serana smiled wifey at him. “Thank you for your kindness. I’ll remember it the next time I’m feeling hungry.”

Isran growled and left the two of them alone, muttering curses under his breath as he left.

Jotunn raised an eye at her. “Was that really necessary?”

Without a moment of hesitation, Serana nodded. “Absolutely. If he’s going to be rude to me, I’ll be rude to him.”

Jotunn snickered. “Fair enough.”

“Anyway, in case you didn’t notice the giant thing on my back, I have the Elder Scroll with me. Whatever it says, it will have something that can help us stop my father. But of course, neither of us can read it.”

“Eh, it’s not that hard to read an Elder Scroll. I’ve already read a couple. Fascinating reads they were.”

Serana paused to stare at him. He was so nonchalant about it that she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Um, right. Well, the Moth Priests are the only ones I’ve heard of who can read the Scrolls. They spend years preparing before they start reading, though. Not that it helps us anyway, because they’re all a continent away in Cyrodiil.”

Jotunn grinned. “Oh I’m sure someone’s seen one recently. Just give me a day or two to check in with my contacts and I’ll find us a priest.”

Serana blinked. “Contacts? You mean you know people outside of barkeeps and the Dawnguard?”

“Yeah? What, I have friends. I know people. Is that really so hard to imagine? Wait, don’t answer that.”

Without missing a beat, Serana snickered. “Yup. I’m only surprised you joined this Dawnguard group.”

Jotunn winced. “I didn’t. I’m advising.”

Serana laughed out loud. “You? Advising? Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

Jotunn held his head up proudly. “Yes. Me. And I’ve been doing a good job so far, I think. What little of it I’ve done.” When Serana snorted, he sighed. “Whatever. I’m going to go send a couple letters. You wait here and uh, explore the fort or something.”

“Wait a moment. I have a question first.” 

Jotunn paused. “Ask away. And no, you can’t drink anyone’s blood while we’re here.”

Serana rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t planning to. But that’s not what I wanted to ask...How did you kill Orthjolf?”

Jotunn blinked at her. “Orth who?”

“The vampire that followed you out of the castle. From inside the castle we heard an almost deafening yell of some kind and when I rushed outside, I saw you leaving. And all that was left of Orthjolf was a large scorch mark. I want to know how you killed him. He was one of the oldest at my father’s court and was almost as physically strong as my father. Yet you killed him in the time it took me to leave the front gates. How?”

Jotunn coughed and tapped the side of his nose. “Umm...magic.”

Serana frowned. “I didn’t know you could use magic.”

“A little bit, yeah.”

“So you what, threw a big fireball or something at him and that killed him?” Serana said half jokingly. 

Jotunn nodded. “In a manner of speaking.” He said with a twinkle in his eye. 

Serana laughed, but quickly stopped as she realized he wasn’t joking. “Shit, you’re serious. But what kind of fire magic is able to incinerate people in seconds?”

Jotunn grinned. “The strong kind. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have letters to send to people so they can find a moth priest for us.”

Jotunn turned around and started to leave, but Serana gripped his shoulder, forcing him to turn back around. Her grip was every bit as strong as he’d expect of a vampire. “Yes?” 

Serana stared at him, her eyes full of curiosity. “Who  _ are _ you?”

Jotunn gave her a smirk. “Just a magic werewolf Thane that rescues ancient vampires on my days off.”

He shrugged her off of him and walked away. He had some old contacts to get in touch with. 

Serana watched him leave, narrowing her eyes. There was that smell again. From a distance, Jotunn just smelled like a dog. Usually a wet dog, but a dog nonetheless. Only, whenever she was really close to him, she could smell something that strangely reminded her of a dragon’s scent. But since she’s been a little out of it for the last few thousand years, she wasn’t quite sure what she could smell to him. But one thing she knew for certain: Jotunn was more than he appeared to be. But exactly what he was, she didn’t have the faintest of ideas. Which only made her even more curious to find out.

Durak caught up to Jotunn just as he was exiting the canyon. Jotunn had hoped to summon his ride before he reached him but the Orc was faster than he looked. He groaned as Durak called out to him. If he had been a normal mortal, he might have been able to keep walking and pretend he hadn’t heard him call. But he wasn’t a normal mortal and so he heard Durak’s shout as if he was already right beside him. 

Begrudgingly, Jotunn stopped walking and waited for Durak to catch up to him. Durak reached him, slightly out of breath. The Orc bent over to catch his lost breath. “You sure do move fast, Jotunn. I had to sprint to catch you and you only had a few minutes head start.”

Jotunn feigned a smile. “Yes, well, if I was slow, I’d have been dead a long time ago.”

Durak chuckled. “True enough. But I just heard the news from Isran. Do you really think this is a good idea? Trusting a vampire?”

Jotunn shrugged. “Oh, I’m never sure any idea is a good one. But I do trust her. She’s had ample enough opportunity to try and kill someone, but she hasn’t. That alone is good enough a reason for me to trust her. At least for now.”

Durak nodded. “And if you trust her then I can try. Does she know you’re the Dragon—.”

“No,” Jotunn snapped. “She does not. And I’d like to keep it that way. It’s bad enough you, half the Dawnguard, and most of Tamriel know I am. I don’t need a vampire knowing who I am. Not until I can trust her fully.”

Durak frowned. “Didn’t you just say you did?”

“I said I trust her for now. I never said how much.”

Durak grunted as he left, heading back to the fort. 

Jotunn sniffed. It smelled like rain.

He looked up at the sky. A few dark clouds were drifting over his way, ruining what would have been a nice afternoon. 

_ Great. Now I’ll smell like even worse wet dog.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We’re finally starting down the path haha. Next chapter will hopefully be a tad longer so it might take a little extra time. May involve a flashback I haven’t decided yet. Until then;)


	14. Bad Memories and Bad Jokes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana head out to try and find a Morh Priest. Jotunn revisits his past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I lied: here’s a smaller chapter with a flashback instead of a longer chapter with a flashback. I liked the size of it so I went with it haha

CHAPTER FOURTEEN 

“Your moth priest was last seen near Dragon Bridge.” Jotunn said to Serana as she sat poking at some bloody beef meant to feed the Dawnguard’s huskies. 

She looked up at him in surprise. “How could you know that?”

Jotunn shrugged. “I told you. I know people. I’m heading out now.”

Serana pushed her chair back and stood up. “Right. And I’m coming with you. I’ve been really wanting to get out and explore a bit anyway. So who else is coming?”

“I guess it’s just us. Everyone else is either too busy or they don’t want to travel with a vampire. Which is a good thing because anyone else would just slow us down.” 

Serana nodded. She’s been expecting that no one else would want to travel with her. She eyed the slab of beef. “Should we bring a dog with us? You both can howl at the moon together.”

Jotunn’s eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “I don’t howl at the moon. That’s like asking you if you dislike garlic. It’s just stupid.”

Serana snorted. “But wouldn’t it be nice to have a four legged companion?”

“I already have a dog. His name is Meeko and he lives in Whiterun with a friend while I’m out here helping smartass vampires.”

Serana laughed. “Oh, that is just precious! The mutt has a mutt! Do you take each other out for walks?”

Jotunn groaned, spinning around and leading the way towards the front door of the fort. He was quickly starting to wonder why he had missed her company. 

“Let’s just get going. We have a long journey to look forward to.” 

They said their goodbyes to Isran and then left the canyon, planning on going through Whiterun to get to Dragon Bridge. Going through Falkreath and the Reach might be quicker, but Jotunn didn’t want to have to deal with the Forsworn who were still a major force in the region. And only a small portion of them were friendly towards him. 

“Isn’t this exciting?” Serana said as they trudged along. Jotunn would have summoned Shadowmere but she only let him ride her. He’d tried to get her to let Lydia or Karliah ride her before, but she’d just buck them off. 

Jotunn sighed. “This is exciting? All we’re doing is walking. Slightly faster than the typical pace, but still.”

Serana grunted. “No, you idiot. I meant going on an adventure is exciting. Which is what we’re doing.”

Jotunn snickered. “What we’re doing is probably going to end up being incredibly dangerous and involve an explosion or two.”

“Dangerous? All we’re doing is tracking down a monk. I’d hardly call that dangerous.”

Jotunn looked sidelong at her as she pulled her cowl lower over her face. “Trust me. Things have a nasty little habit of getting dangerous whenever I’m involved. Ten septims we end up in a life threatening situation by the time we find the priest.”

Serana grinned, extending a hand to shake his own. “I’ll see that bet.”

Jotunn couldn’t help the smile to escape him. “Well if nothing else good comes of this trip, I’ll at least be ten septims richer.”

He paused for a moment. “Do you even  _ have _ ten septims?”

Serana squirmed under his gaze. “Not exactly. But I’m good for it, I swear.”

Jotunn groaned. “Great. So not only am I traveling with a bloodsucking vampire, I’m traveling with a poor bloodsucking vampire”

“Hey, my family is incredibly rich. That’s why we’re ‘royalty.’ I just happen to not have any of that wealth on me. I left the castle in a hurry.”

Jotunn smiled, shaking his head as if he was disappointed with her. “Excuses, excuses.” 

They continued walking until nightfall when they stopped and made camp. They didn’t really have to stop, but they did so anyway. Jotunn was actually thinking of only traveling at night the rest of the trip. There’d be less of a chance of coming across other travelers and Serana wouldn’t have to worry about the sun messing with her. This time though, Jotunn wanted to eat. Something that was nicer to do sitting down rather than walking. 

As he sat against a tree, taking a bite into the leg of a rabbit he’d killed earlier, he looked over at Serana who was staring at the Scroll in her hands. He grunted, getting her attention. “So tell me...What do you know about Elder Scrolls?”

Serana snorted, looking back down at the unopened Scroll. “I mean...as much as anyone. So not a lot. I know they’re incredibly powerful and older than just about everything, but that’s about all I know. You’d figure a couple hundred years locked away with one would have given me some insight, but no,” She snickered. “Turns out you don’t learn much from just sleeping with something.”

Jotun raised an eye. “Are you saying you want to learn more about me? I’m flattered, but I’m going to have to decline. I barely know you after all.”

Serana choked, hitting her chest to recover. “Um, yeah, no. You’ll never find out. But what about you? When we first met, you recognized what the Scroll was immediately. You’ve seen one before?”

Still smiling at her reaction to his teasing, Jotunn nodded. “I’ve come across a couple in my time, yes,” When she stared at him, he grinned. “I wasn’t crazy enough to keep one chilling on my back, however. So good on you.”

Serana frowned. “Well where else would I keep it? There aren’t really any pockets big enough to hold it. Besides, it’s safer on my back. Harder to lose that way.”

Jotunn laughed. “Oh, it’s safe alright. With an ancient pure blood vampire and a d—me...protecting it, it’s as safe as it could ever be.”

Serana pretended not to notice his falter, but Jotunn knew she’d noticed it. Because he would have noticed it. And neither of them were idiots. 

He coughed. “Anyway, if I wasn’t me, I’d be a little annoyed that we’re going to all this trouble just to find some random priest. I mean, going to Dragon Bridge from the Rift is a long journey to take for a monk.”

Serana masked her curiosity of his falter with a snicker. “Nothing like a goose chase around the whole damn province.”

Jotunn grinned at her as he took a big bite of a rabbit leg. “Oh, but think of all the tales that will be had of our exciting and amazing adventures!”

Serana snorted. “‘The Tale of the Great Moth Priest Hunt.’ Definitely not something I’d ever want to read.”

Jotunn shrugged. “I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘Two Freaks Save the World from a bunch of other Freaks.’ It’s a working title.”

Laughing, Serana moved, sitting beside him against the tree. “You might want to keep working at it. It’s a little long.”

Jotunn smirked as he took another bite of the leg. “That’s why I said it was a  _ working  _ title.” He spat out a small bone mixed up in the meat and looked up at the night sky. For once, it was a clear night. Which was a rare thing in the Rift. Usually it was difficult to see the sky with all the natural fog that’d drift through the woods. But now he could see the stars stretching across the endless sea of sky. 

“So what are we going to do for the next few hours until the sun rises? I mean it isn’t like we’re going to sleep; You’re a werewolf that can’t sleep and I’m a vampire that’s been asleep for the last few thousand years.”

Jotunn’s nose twitched. “I do sleep.”

Serana blinked, now confused. “But you told me you didn’t sleep.”

Jotunn snorted. “You’re right, I told you that I didn’t sleep. Not that I couldn’t sleep. The werewolf blood makes it possible that I don’t actually need sleep, but it doesn’t mean I’m unable to. I just choose not to.”

She frowned at him. “Why, though? Don’t you get tired?”

Jotunn chuckled and threw the now picked clean leg bone away. “I’m always tired. Doesn’t mean I have to sleep.”

“But why do you not sleep? Don’t you like the rest?”

He shook his head. “I don’t like what often comes with the rest. The ghosts of my past see to that.”

“What past?”

Jotunn sniffed. “The kind that doesn’t need to be revisited. Now kindly drop it.”

Serana raised an eye. “And if I don’t drop it?”

Jotunn shrugged. “Simple. I’ll howl all night. And if you’ve never heard a werewolf howl before, we are quite loud.”

“Okay, now that’s just cruel.”

Jotunn smiled innocently at her. “That’s kind of the point.”

_ It was like all his senses were heightened to an insane level. He could suddenly still taste what he had for breakfast earlier as if it was still on his tongue. He could see almost perfectly, despite still being in the tiny cave. Every slight movement of the air slipping through his new fur, he could feel. He could hear the heartbeats of the members of his new pack as if they were beating in his ear. And he could smell...he could smell meat for miles. Flesh, bone, and blood. And it was all just outside the cave, waiting. His mouth started to salivate and he swung his now huge head towards the entrance. He needed to feed. To kill. To sate his bloodlust. And his prey was out there. _

_ In the back of his mind, he could faintly hear Skjor saying something that might have been a warning. But he didn’t pay any attention to him. There was only the hunt.  _

_ He crashed into the boulder keeping the cave closed and rushed out into the open city. He clamored over the stone wall and into the courtyard housing the Gildergreen, startling a passing guard. Without even hesitating, he leapt upon the guard and with his new claws, ripped the man’s belly open. He bent down and tore a large chunk of flesh off the body, tasting the blood and meat on his tongue briefly before swallowing.  _

_ Sniffing the air, he noticed that more meat was coming towards him quickly. He heard shouting but didn’t understand what was being said. It wasn’t important. He needed more meat, more dead prey.  _

_ Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Only later would he learn it had been an arrow. The pain making him furious, he let loose a deafening howl that terrified the people. Several more guards charged him. He ran at them, tackling one down and slashing his chest off before swiping at the next closest one, throwing him to the ground. Before he could kill this one, another one sank a blade into his side. He brushed it off as the pain was only similar to an insect bite. He turned his attention to the blade’s owner, grabbing him and hurling him away. The man landed with a loud snap, dead.  _

_ He howled in rage once more and moved on to the next one. Sniffing, his mouth curled up in a snarl. The next closest piece of meat was trembling, backing away and barely able to hold the blade. He smelled piss on the weak guard.  _

_ In a flash, he lunged, gripping the guard’s neck in his jaws and crushing it. Shaking his head, blood splattered everywhere. But it still wasn’t enough. He needed more blood.  _

_ He felt the thudding of a dozen or more feet running towards him. It was now too much of a bother to kill that many. He didn’t want to fight them. He wanted to kill.  _

_ He broke off at a run, running in the opposite direction of the oncoming group and instead, leaping onto the high city walls and climbing over. Landing on the plains, he ran. He could smell meat fifty yards away and so he ran towards it. He chased it down and mauled it before moving on to the next smell of meat. After this one, his mind went foggy. After that, it was all just a red haze. He didn’t know for how long it was, but then he was awake in a forest somewhere, with Aela standing over him, torch in hand.  _

_ Shaking his head groggily, he sat up. His shoulder and side hurt from old wounds.  _

_ “Good. You’re up.” Aela said. “How do you feel?” _

_ He groaned.  _

_ “Yours was...not an easy transformation, however.” The huntress said.  _

_ He opened his mouth to say something, but then he tasted the blood on his tongue. And everything came flooding back to him. The Underforge, the ritual and the terrible pain of the transformation. And what had followed. _

_ He looked up at her, with tears forming in his eyes. “Aela. What have I done?” _

Jotunn blinked open his eyes and shook his head to clear away the memories. He cursed himself for thinking about them. And while he wanted to curse Serana for bringing up the reason why he chose not to sleep, he knew it wasn’t her fault. He had been the one that chose to think about it when he had closed his eyes to meditate. 

Serana looked over at him from her place by the small campfire they’d made. No one was going to sneak up on them so they had decided to risk it and have one. 

“Well, you must not know how meditation works. You kept fidgeting the whole time. How’d you screw it up?” Serana teased.

Jotunn frowned. “By thinking.”

“And what were you thinking about?”

He growled. “Nothing good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ye enjoyed this chapter! Smaller it may be haha. And I hope you liked the glimpse into Jotunn’s past. And to my hardcore fans out there, you notice that most of my protagonists have trouble sleeping or is that just me haha. Anyway, until next time ;)   
> And stay safe everyone!


	15. Kicking and Killing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn, Lydia, and an old friend are ambushed on the road to Whiterun. Lydia is mad

CHAPTER FIFTEEN 

“Thanks for letting us stay the night Gerdur. Would ten gold be enough payment?” Jotunn asked the Nord woman as he pulled out his coin pouch. Rather than stay at the inn as they were passing through Riverwood, they stayed with Ralof and his family. The less people that knew he was around town, the better. Plus, he knew that Ralof would at least check with him before trying to kill Serana for being a vampire. Better one person than the whole village. 

Serana was chatting with the big Nord by the road at the moment. He would be joining them until they reached Whiterun as Ralof was heading there anyway. The two were waiting for Jotunn to pay Gerdur for the hospitality.

Gerdur smiled warmly at him and closed his hand in her own, forcing him to close his pouch. “No need. It was our pleasure to have you stay with us again. It was just like old times.”

Jotunn smirked. “There was more chaos and dragon attacks in the old times if I recall correctly.”

Gerdur waved him away. “That’s only what you choose to remember. And if  _ I _ recall correctly, that visit during the old times was the one you taught Frodnar his now annoying pickpocket trick.”

Jotunn’s smirk deepened. “Well someone had to teach the kid how to have some fun pulling pranks that actually get people’s attention.”

“Uh huh. Anyway, you probably shouldn’t keep Ralof and your friend waiting any longer. Next time you stop by, stop by for longer, okay?” 

Jotunn nodded. “‘Course. Until then.” He said with a wave before walking off to join Serana and Ralof on the main road through town. 

As he joined them, Serana huffed impatiently. “It’s about time. We’re losing daylight.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes at her. “Yeah, yeah.”

Ralof grinned. “Let me guess: she didn’t let you pay her?”

Jotunn nodded. “Outright refused.”

Ralof snickered and extended a hand. “Then pay me instead. I don’t mind taking your money.”

Jotunn smiled. “Oh I know you don’t.” He reluctantly brought his coin pouch back out and dropped ten septims into Ralof’s open hand. 

Serana watched the exchange as they walked across the short bridge to the north of the town. “I meant to ask earlier, but how do you two know each other?”

Ralof laughed. “Me and Jotunn? We go back a long time. Shit, I’ve even saved his life. This was back before it was revealed he was the—.”

Jotunn coughed loudly, cutting the other man off before he could finish his sentence. 

Ralof pauses to clear his throat. “Er, anyway. We’ve known each other for several years now. Even been on a couple adventures together during the civil war. Ahh the good old days.”

Jotunn sighed, smacking his forehead. “Enough with the good old days.” 

Ralof laughed then noticed that both Jotunn and Serana had tensed all of a sudden. “What?”

Jotunn looked at Serana. “You smell them too?”

She nodded. “Yes, but what are they doing out right now? It’s not even noon.”

Jotunn unsheathed one of his swords and took out a small dagger. “The ones that attacked the fort didn’t seem to care that it was daytime either. These ones must be real hungry to risk an ambush during the day. You take the ones coming from the right side; I’ll take the left. Protect Ralof.”

Ralof quickly brought out his axe, looking at them both worriedly. “Protect me? Protect me from what? What’s going on?”

“Vampires.” Was Jotunn’s reply. 

Jotunn faces the left side of the woods, his eyes scanning for the slightest sign of movement or shimmering dust, the telltale sign of a vampire hiding. His nose sniffing the air, their scent painting an almost clear picture of where they were for him. Luckily, it was a small group. Otherwise they might have been in trouble. There were only three of them coming from his side. The closest one was about twenty feet away now and closing in fast. He saw a faint shimmering amidst the tree line and in the blink of an eye, he threw the dagger at it. The dagger hit the vampire square in the eye socket, killing it instantly. 

There was a moment's pause before the other vampires gave up on trying to take them by surprise. Five more stepped out of the trees, three brandishing swords and daggers. Two for Serana and three for him. Child’s play. 

“Stay back Ralof. These are more than you can handle.” Jotunn said calmly as he walked towards his three, unsheathing his other sword. Two had swords of their own, but the third looked to be choosing to fight with just his hands. Jotunn shrugged. He didn’t mind. The ones that decided not to fight with weapons were either too cocky for their own good or they truly didn’t need them. Either way, the fight would be a fun one for him. And quick. 

Jotunn sneered at the three approaching vampires as he walked towards them calmly, brandishing his swords. When they were only ten feet away, he suddenly broke off at a run and rushed the closest of the three: a woman pointing a sword at him. 

She lunged forward, thrusting her dagger at his chest with a speedy strike that would have killed a lesser fighter. Jotunn merely took one step to the side and dodged the attack. As he did so, he positioned his sword at the last second so that she practically impaled herself on his blade. And as she choked on her own blood, he reached around with his other sword and slit her throat before releasing her body from his blades. She crumpled to dust as he turned to face the next two. He chuckled when they hesitated, not used to fighting people that were able to fight back efficiently. 

“Hello vampires. Meet my swords. They’re real eager to get to know you.” Jotunn said with another chuckle. 

At this, the two vampires attacked, goaded on by his comment. The one with the sword aimed an overhead strike at him and Jotunn ducked before quickly stepped up close and jamming his sword in the vampire’s gut. He then shoved the vampire into his companion, knocking them both of their feet. Unfortunately for him, the vampire he had just stabbed died as he fell so the other vampire got to his feet faster than Jotunn had anticipated. He barely had any time to reach and jump back before the vampire was slashing at him with its claws. They almost grazed his chest as he leapt back, cursing at his bad luck. He dropped into a defensive crouch as the vampire eyed him angrily. 

It raised its hand, presumably to cast some kind of magic. Before it could however, Jotunn was closing the distance between them. There was no way he was allowing it to cast magic. 

He feinted with a forward thrust and then as the vampire moved to dodge, he changed direction and swept at its legs, cutting right below the calf. The vampire winced, his leg giving way under his weight. He was able to do one final act of defiance. “Fuck y—.” He was able to say before Jotunn’s blade sank into his throat and killed him. As the vampiric ash settled, Jotunn looked back to Serana and Ralof just in time to see Serana practically split another vampire’s head in half with a big ice spike. 

As the vampire crumpled to dust, Serana replaced her dagger in its sheath, turned around, and gave Jotunn a toothy grin as he rejoined them. 

Ralof, who had already hitched his axe back to his belt, crossed his arms and scowled. “You know, I could have helped at least a little.”

Jotunn shook his head. “Against a vampire fledgling, sure. But not against those ones. Those were of a higher class. They would have annihilated you.”

Ralof frowned. “Alright, fine. But what were they even doing out right now? I thought vampires couldn’t go out during the day.”

Serana coughed. “I’m right here, aren’t I moron? We can be out during the day. The sunlight just...is not good for our skin if you know what I mean.”

Jotunn rubbed his chin, staring at the several piles of ash that was eventually scattered by the breeze. “It’s a good question though. What  _ were  _ they doing out here? It isn’t like they could have known we were coming this way. And if Harkon wanted to try and have us ambushed, he would have sent people worth their salt. So this was what, a random vampire ambush we were lucky enough to set off?”

Ralof laughed. “Oh that’s rich. We were lucky a group of vampires attacked us.”

Jotunn nodded. “Absolutely. Better we get attacked then a merchant or farmer. They’d have been torn apart while we can actually defend ourselves. Unless you’d rather the vampires had ambushed a family?”

Ralof sighed. “Ah, you’re probably right.”

Jotunn raised an eye. “Probably?”

“Fine. You’re right.”

Serana snickered. “In any case, they’re dead now. Won’t be a problem to anyone anymore. Let’s keep moving.”

They left the site of the fight behind them as they continued walking along the stone road. Jotunn figured it’d take them another two days to reach Whiterun. And even though it’d be more trouble than it was worth, he was planning on stopping by Breezehome, if only to fill Lydia in on what was going on. And he probably should let the Jarl know about the attack too. He mentally sighed.  _ This whole vampire mess is getting more and more annoying.  _

“So, want to explain what happened back there? You almost got your chest ripped open.” Serana said as they walked. 

Jotunn snorted. “Saw that, did you? Damn.”

“Of course I saw it. Isran back in Fort Dawnguard saw it and he was ashamed for you.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Okay, first off: it was just a bit of bad luck. I didn’t think the bastard would recover his footing so quickly. And secondly, I highly doubt Isran would ever be ashamed  _ for  _ me. Of me, yes. For me? Never.”

Ralof looked at one of them and then the other, with a confused look plastered on his face. “What are you two talking about?”

Serana grinned. “Jotunn slipped up and almost got himself hurt in that fight.”

Ralof gasped, turning to Jotunn. “Wait, you almost got hurt? I’ve never seen you get hurt! I didn’t think that was possible.”

Jotunn waved him off. “Yes, yes. I had a slice of shitty luck and almost got hurt. It’s no big deal.”

“It is so a big deal!” Ralof said excitedly. “I’m telling Gerdur when I get back. She’s not going to believe it! And Hod is going to want to hear about it too.”

Jotunn sighed and looked at Serana evilly. “This is your fault. Now he’s not going to shut up about it.”

She grinned at him happily, as if she was proud of herself for annoying him. “You’re very welcome.”

“Jotunn and a vampire are nearby.” Aela said suddenly as Lydia prepared Meeko a small snack. She was right in the middle of chopping up a slice of fish but stopped and put the cutting knife down then she reached for her sword. She looked over at the huntress, who had moved towards the door, pulling out her long dagger. 

“‘And’ a vampire? And as in together? That’s absurd. Jotunn loathes vampires; he’d never let one live. Especially if it was near him.” Lydia said with a huff. 

Aela grunted. “I can smell them nearing the city gates almost right next to each other. And they’re with Ralof? You don’t think the vampire took a hold of their minds, do you?”

Lydia snorted. “Oh, Ralof for sure. But never Jotunn. He’s much too powerful for any fiend to mind control.” She sighed and wiped her hands on a piece of cloth. “No, my guess is that Jotunn found a vampire to interrogate and he’s bringing it back here to do so. Ralof is probably just tagging along.”

Aela frowned. “But why would Jotunn need to come back here for that? He could just do it out in the wilderness and then kill the bitch.”

Lydia paused. “Bitch? The blood sucking fiend is female?”

Aela winced. “Shh. They heard you,” then she hesitantly put her dagger away and backed away from the door. “Jotunn says he’ll explain if we promise not to attack the vampire on sight.”

Lydia groaned and tightened her grip on her sword. “I’ll make no such promise.”

Aela shrugged and moments later, the front door was unlocked and opened. Jotunn stepped inside, still wearing his Nightingale armor. He nodded to Aela and smiled nervously at Lydia. “You planning on skewering my guest once she comes through the door?”

Lydia’s eyes narrowed. “If I have to. Do I have to?”

She heard a female’s voice come from behind Jotunn as he stood in the doorway. “Oh please. As if I’d give you enough time to get close enough to try and skewer me.”

Jotunn held his hand up . “Not the time, Serana.”

“I’m sorry, have you finally gone completely insane? You know the damn thing’s name now?” Lydia snarled. 

Jotunn’s nervous smile turned into a frown. “Wait, what do you mean completely? I’m not insane.”

Aela snorted with laughter and leaned against the wall. “You just brought a vampire into a city. That spells insane to me.”

Jotunn groaned. “Not you too. I promise this will make sense if you let me explain.”

Lydia stared at him. “Fine. I’ll give you a chance to explain yourself. But the vampire waits outside. With Aela to keep an eye on it.”

Jotunn nodded. “Sounds fair. You two play nice.” He said as Aela slipped past him to wait outside with the vampire. “And Ralof, keep an eye on those two! Stop them if they start fighting.”

Ralof poked his head in the door. “Did I hear you right? If they fight, you want me to stop them? You want  _ me  _ to stop a fight between a vampire and a werewolf? Me? A normal person with an axe?”

Jotunn grinned at the Nord as he slowly closed the door. “Yes, you. Good luck.”

As the door closed, he heard Ralof clear his throat and say, “Um...right. No fighting...Please.”

Jotunn turned towards his old friend and flinched at the angry look she was giving him. She stepped closer to him. 

“You did it again.”

“Did what?”

“You disappeared on me again. And you haven’t been sending me letters.” Lydia snapped.

“There’s a perfectly good reason for that.” Was his reply.

“I don’t want to hear it.” Lydia said curtly before kicking him in the shin. 

Jotunn jumped in pain, wincing. He groaned. “ _ Again  _ with the hurting me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your thoughts so far if you feel so inclined to haha. And I’m planning on making the next chapter a little longer so just a little heads up!   
> Until then and stay safe! :)


	16. Snooping is Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serana makes some new friends, explores Breezehome, and Jotunn opens up ever so slightly to her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cat fight/snarky comments ahead! And as promised, this chapter is a little longer. Thanks for the wait!

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Lydia stared at him blankly for several seconds. Jotunn had just finished bringing her up to speed on the whole world ending vampire prophecy and her reaction to this news was a fair bit calmer than he originally thought it’d be. He thought that by now, she’d be used to him getting sucked into potentially disaster plus events. 

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” 

She blinked and then shook her head, smacking her forehead. “You are unbelievable. I mean, I knew you were stupid but I didn’t know you were this big of an idiot. You really can’t go a month without getting involved in something crazy, can’t you? And vampires? Why help this one? You hate vampires. Just because this one has a big chest is no reason to trust that it won’t try to murder you.”

Jotunn flinched. “That’s not the reason and you know it. As for why I trust  _ her _ , I don’t know. Call it a gut feeling I guess. And I guess I figure that on the off chance she’s right about this prophecy thing, if I stop it now then I won’t have to fight off an army of vampire slaves and kill everyone all by my lonesome. That’d be tiring.”

Lydia sighed, resting her head on her arms as she sat at the table. “When will you stop this shit? Stop making every problem you come across your’s to deal with? Let someone else worry about crap like this for a change. You’ve already done so much; you deserve a break.”

Jotunn grinned at her. “I did let someone else worry about it once, and you saw the result of that. No. It’s better that I deal with this stuff. Besides, I just had a vacation, remember?”

She frowned. “I’m not talking about a vacation. I’m talking about you stopping—.” 

Jotunn reached across the table and grasped her hand, squeezing it gently. “I know what you meant. Now will you promise not to attack Serana while I go with Ralof and tell Balgruuf about a vampire ambush on the road to Riverwood?”

Lydia groaned and leaned back in her chair. “Fine.”

Jotunn smiled and stood. “Thank you. And she’s allowed to snoop around the house if she so desires. I’ll be back faster than you can swing—.”

“Don’t say it.” Snarled Lydia.

Jotunn grinned and left the building, bringing Ralof with him as he passed the three waiting outside. 

Aela followed Serana inside. Serana had tried to get the huntress to tell her exactly who Jotunn was but Aela would not tell her anything besides the fact that she was Jotunn’s friend and that she didn’t like her. 

Serana peered around the room, surprised at how simple and rough it was compared to Jotunn’s house in Solitude. Though it was more information for her. Jotunn was apparently rich enough and important enough to own at least two houses in two major cities. Whether or not he had more remained to be seen.

Her eyes lit up as she found what she was looking for. She’d smelled the dog inside and figured it had to be Meeko, the dog Jotunn had spoken of. 

She bent down as Meeko cautiously went over to her and sniffed her. She kindly gave his back a rub. “So you’re the mutt’s mutt. And such a handsome fella, aren’t you? Yes, who’s a good boy?” She said, ignoring the snort of laughter she received from Aela. 

“I want to make one thing perfectly clear, vampire.” Lydia suddenly said from the table. Serana looked up from petting Meeko as the warrior continued. “If you so much as hurt Jotunn in any way, I’ll feed you your own fangs before I see how much blood makes up  _ your  _ body. Do I make myself clear?”

Serana smirked. “I’m sorry, I’m a tad hard of hearing. Mind repeating that into my good ear?” 

Lydia smiled at her. The smile never reached her eyes. “Aww, how cute. A vampire with a smart mouth. And here I was thinking you were all mindless beasts.”

Serana must have looked surprised by the quick comment because Lydia gave a short chuckle. “Were you thinking a quick tongue would get the better of me? Ha. I’ve been keeping up with Jotunn’s sass for years. What makes you think I wouldn’t be able to give it right back?”

Serana narrowed her eyes. “Are all of Jotunn’s friends this obnoxious or just you? You know what? Why don’t you kill me right now, please. It’d spare me the utter agony of conversing with you any longer. Oh, and your blood smells disgusting by the way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go ‘snoop around the house’ as it were.”

Lydia pushed the chair back and stood up as Serana stood up. Serana’s hand went towards her dagger. Not that she needed it to kill either one of the other women, but she thought it’d be a fair warning nonetheless. “Is someone about to go back on their word and attack a guest? I bet Jotunn would love that.”

Lydia snarled and made a move towards her. 

“Lydia, stop.” Aela said sternly which caused Lydia to pause. “Jotunn can hear you two bickering like children. He says to knock it off and act like adults.”

Lydia growled, never taking her eyes off of Serana. “Says the man child. Ugh. I need some air.” She said before she headed for the door. 

Serana looked at Aela as Lydia slammed the door shut behind her. “Well isn’t she a nice little flower.”

Aela sniffed and crossed her arms. “I don’t like you.”

Serana sighed, giving up. “You don’t say.” 

She decided to ignore the werewolf completely and go about exploring the tiny house. As she found out, there wasn’t anything overly special about it. There weren't even any curious items like the dragon scale armor she’d found at his house in Solitude. Really the only thing of note in the building was a small chest with a mask identical to the one Jotunn wore while traveling. She knew it was probably rude to go through his personal chests and all, but he did say she could look around. Besides, she was both bored and curious to find anything that might tell her more about him. For such an interesting man, he sure was guarded about who he actually was. The only thing more curious about him was the fact that for whatever reason, he was in no hurry to let her know who he really was. But that only made her more determined to figure him out. Doing things she wasn’t supposed to was one of her favorite hobbies.

Just like the one he was wearing, the mask was as dark as any shadow with dark purple lines etched onto it. While she could feel where the eyes would be on it, she couldn’t really see them on the mask. And though she could not prove it, she felt as if a power was radiating off the mask as if it was enchanted. She placed it back into the chest she’d gotten it from and closed the lid. 

There was nothing overly noteworthy in the place. 

_ So he’s some kind of werewolf thane that collects weird armor and dislikes vampires, but also doesn’t mind helping one. Ahh, I swear I’ll figure you out one day Jotunn. _

“Finished snooping around?”

Serana jumped and spun around to see Jotunn standing in the doorway to the room.  _ How did he..? I didn’t even hear him enter the house! I guess I wasn’t paying attention. He better not gloat about this. _

“There isn’t much to snoop through here.”

Jotunn snickered. “Why do you think I let you then? And yeah, most of my stuff is in my other houses.”

“I don’t see why. You could store all your riches in this place and no one would be able to get to any of it. What with Lydia and the other wolves watching over it.” 

He grinned. “True. Anyway, you ready to get going?”

Serana frowned. “I thought we were going to stay here longer? Wasn’t that the plan?”

“It was. Before you met Lydia and Aela. I’ve changed my mind now. I’m not going to deal with you three pulling out each other’s hair so we’re just going to leave now and save myself the trouble. So let’s go.” Jotunn said before turning on his heel and walked away, down the steps. 

Serana huffed. She’d been looking forward to messing with the other women more, but ultimately it was better to leave now then risk fighting them and pissing off Jotunn. She still didn’t know exactly how strong he was and she didn’t want to find that out the hard way. 

Luckily for her, Lydia still hadn’t returned so she didn’t need to see her again. Jotunn said goodbye to Aela and then Serana followed him out of the city. The two took the main road, heading west. They would travel during the day and set camp late at night, well away from the road. During which, Serana would pester Jotunn about who he was, attempting to break down the walls surrounding his personal life. The most she’d get out of him were vague answers to otherwise simple questions like ‘where were you born’ or ‘what do you do for a living’ or ‘how could a werewolf ever become thane to two cities?’ 

It was another such time at their makeshift camp when Jotunn was the one to ask something. They were both sitting next to the campfire, relaxing after yet another long day of hiking when Jotunn suddenly spoke up, breaking the relative silence of the night. 

“Were you always a vampire?”

Serana blinked and looked across the fire at him. “Are you serious? After a week of you being all tight lipped about yourself, you expect me to tell you about myself? Just like that?”

Jotunn was quiet, as if he was waiting for her to answer his questions 

She grunted, remembering something he’d shortly after opening her monolith. Something about how trust works both ways. She groaned. He wasn’t going to share anything unless she shared too. “Alright. But just so you know, that’s... a long story.”

Jotunn nodded. “I want to hear it.”

Serana sighed. “I guess...we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism comes from?” 

“From a daedric lord I imagine. Those bastards sure are annoying.”

She raised an eye, surprised he had guessed correctly. If it had even been a guess. “Exactly! The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She...was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is obviously a powerful daedric lord and so his will is made reality.”

Jotunn snorted. “He’s a prick, you mean.”

She ignored him. “For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will still bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust. The ceremony was...degrading.”

He nodded. “How did you actually become a vampire then?”

Serana shivered and shook her head. “Let’s not revisit that. But my whole family took part in it. Not really a wholesome family activity, but I guess it’s something you do when you give yourselves to a daedric lord.”

Jotunn snickered. “Any family activity isn’t a wholesome one if you ask me. How has it affected your family though?”

Serana chuckled, bringing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them as she sat. “Well you’ve met most of us. My father’s not exactly the most stable, and eventually he drove my mother crazy with him. And all that ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long. It’s definitely been a bad thing, on the whole. The immortality and powers and all that is great, but the family consequences are shit.”

“You all right?” Jotunn asked.

“Is that concern I hear? I didn’t know you were capable of such a thing.” When she saw his brow furrow, she winced. “Sorry. That was uncalled for. This isn’t easy for me to talk about but I’ll be okay. Thanks for asking. What about you though? Have you always been a werewolf? How’d you get turned?”

As she watched him, she could have sworn that for a split second, there was a horrible sadness in his eyes. It was a level of sadness that she’d never seen. One that bore right through her like a spear. But as fast as it had appeared, it left, replaced by humor. 

“I’ve been a mutt for several years now. Not nearly as long as you’ve been a vampire, but long enough to learn how not to randomly change. And to learn exactly when to shave before all the hair crosses the line from hairy to excessive. And I wasn’t turned. I chose to be a werewolf.”

“Do you ever regret that choice?” Serana asked, noticing the slight hint of sadness return to his eyes momentarily, as if he was remembering something. 

“Sometimes. If I hadn’t chosen to become a werewolf, then maybe some people would still be alive and other people would be dead.”

Serana blinked. “What does that mean?”

Jotunn shrugged. “It means what it means. If I wasn’t a werewolf then maybe some good people that are dead would still be alive and some bad people that are still alive would be dead.”

She chuckled. “What, did you maul some of your friends to death as a werewolf?”

Jotunn frowned. “I may as well have killed them myself.”

Serana choked and stared at him. He would never admit it but he was trembling ever so slightly. Only his hands were, but he was still trembling. He caught her looking at his hands and clenched them tightly to stop them from shaking. 

“Shortly after my first...transformation...I awoke in the woods in front of an old crumbling fort. Aela was there waiting for me to wake up and recover and after I did, we went into the fort which was full of werewolf hunters. Inside, we found that our friend and fellow werewolf Skjor, who had gone in earlier, had been killed. If I hadn’t become a werewolf, then they wouldn’t have wanted to celebrate the rite by killing the hunters. And Skjor would still be alive.”

Serana nodded, taking it in. Jotunn had never shown such vulnerability before and so she was trying to be respectful, lest he retreat back behind his wall and continue to ignore her questions. 

“Why are you so sure this Skjor fellow would still be alive? I mean he could have died in the next fight or something and it wouldn’t have mattered if you were a mutt or not.” She said.

Jotunn snickered, a little light returning to his eyes. “Because Skjor was a tough bastard to kill. I reckon he’d have even held his own against you without reverting to his beast form. In his golden years at least.”

“And what happened to the hunters that killed him?”

Jotunn glared at her from across the flames. “What do you think happened to them? Aela and I butchered them.”

Serana played absentmindedly with her nails as she asked, “And what of your first transformation? What was that like?”

She cursed as Jotunn stretched and laid down on the ground, using his arms as a pillow. “You don’t want to talk about yours, I don’t want to talk about mine.”

Serana groaned. “Damn it! That isn’t fair! I don’t want to talk about mine because it was degrading.”

“And mine isn’t? Let’s admit that your one transformation and my many transformations weren’t fun and just drop it. Everyone wins.”

“Not my curiosity.” Grumbled Serana.

“That doesn’t sound like dropping it. Kindly tell your curiosity to shut it for the night.” Jotunn said.

Serana sighed. “I will, but I don’t expect it to be pleased by the request.”

She saw the corner of Jotunn’s mouth twitch in a smile as he turned onto his side. While he hadn’t told her everything she wanted to know, he  _ had  _ let her peek behind his walls after all this time asking him. And she’d take every bit of information about him that she could.

Serana smiled and her gaze went to the flames of the campfire. The mystery that was Jotunn was beginning to unravel slowly. And slow progress was still progress. 

“Innkeeper said the priest left about three hours ago, presumably headed south. He’s on a wagon with an Imperial bodyguard. If we hurry, we can catch up to them before anything bad happens.” Jotunn said to Serana as he was exiting the Four Shields Tavern. 

They had reached Dragon Bridge only about thirty minutes earlier after a long journey from Whiterun. The two were starting to get bored of being on the road but now that they were close to their goal, they had some needed renewed energy. Serana had waited outside the tavern while Jotunn asked around. Luckily, it didn’t take long to learn the information they needed and now they could be off.

“You mean we aren’t going to take a moment to bask in the sight that is the famous dragon bridge?” Serana said snarking as they walked down the hill to the bridge. 

“Nope.” Was Jotunn’s reply. 

Serana snorted. “Eh, it isn’t that impressive anyway. Let’s go find us a priest!” 

Jotunn glanced at her as they crossed over the bridge. “Hasn’t that been what we’ve been doing since we left the fort?”

The vampire snickered and looked up at the night sky. “I thought we’ve mainly been doing a lot of walking. Not a lot of finding.”

“Well you have to walk in order to find someone on the other side of the province.”

Serana laughed. “No, we could have ridden horses.”

Jotunn grunted. “You want to buy a horse then go right ahead. I’m not spending the money.”

“Why not? You clearly have enough money for a horse.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes. “It isn’t about money. It’s about—wait. There’s death farther up the road.” A breeze had brought with it the smell. 

They picked up their pace and soon enough, they found the source of the smell. A small carriage had been overturned on the side of the road. The horse that had pulled it was dead. Close by were a dead vampire and her thrall thrall. An Imperial soldier was also dead, with a number of claw marks and sword wounds on him. 

“Shit. I guess we found the priest’s bodyguard. But no priest.”

Jotunn scratched his chin. “Loot the bodies for anything valuable. I’m gonna look around for any sign of the monk.”

Serana frowned at him. “Loot the bodies? Isn’t that a little disrespectful?”

Jotunn chuckled. “So? They’re dead. I don’t think they’re in any position to protest.”

Serena pursed her lips. He had a point.

As she set about searching the bodies for anything of use, Jotunn walked around the ambush site, looking for signs that might tell them where the monk was. Judging by how dry the blood on the site was, the ambush had happened maybe two hours ago. From what he could tell, the vampires had killed the horse first and the cart had fallen when the horse did. The priest was probably told to run as the guard tried to fight off their attackers. The guard probably killed the thrall easily and either barely killed the vampire before another killed him, or he’d taken the vampire down with him as the others went after the priest. There had to be others involved, that much Jotunn was certain. There was no way two people would be able to pull an ambush off by themselves, even if one was a vampire. The two questions that remained however were: where did the vampires take the priest and why did they want him in the first place? 

_ They couldn’t know we were looking for him. Though...it’s still a possibility. I imagine by now Harkon has realized Serana’s intent of stopping him from going through with his prophecy and that she’d need someone to read the Scroll she has. So maybe he had his followers kidnap the priest in order to stop us from figuring out what the prophecy states. Or maybe… _

“I found a note on the thrall’s body!” Serana called out, shaking him from his thoughts. 

He returned to her side as she stood up with a slip of paper in her hands. 

“Its from Malkus, a member of my father’s court, ordering to prepare an ambush and bring the Moth Priest to some cave.” Serana said.

Jotunn’s brow bunched up. “What cave?”

Serana groaned, dropping the piece of paper. “The note doesn’t say. Which means that they could be in any of the caves near here. This is just great. Now we have to spend the next couple of hours scouting the damn hills in search of a cave to look through. How unlucky are we?” She said while kicking the cart angrily.

Jotunn sniffed and grinned. He’d picked up the scent of blood farther along the road. He looked in the direction of the smell and could see a few tiny pools of blood on the stones, leading towards the small bridge to the south. 

He nodded towards the bridge and the blood. “If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s getting really lucky. I think I just found the trail that will lead us to our moth priest friend.”

Serana followed his gaze and whistled. “Okay, I take it back. We’re lucky.”

Jotunn laughed. “Better get used to getting lucky. You’re in the presence of the lucky king.” He said as they began to follow the blood trail someone had so kindly left behind for them. 

Serana snorted and patted his back. “More like the lucky idiot.”

Jotunn smiled. “That too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that everyone is staying safe! (And to my fellow dragon age fans, I hope you enjoyed the chapter’s name haha.) let me know what you think so far! Who’s liking Jotunn and Serana?   
> Until next time :)


	17. Anyone Order a Monk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana rescue Dexion, the Moth Priest from vampires and return to Fort Dawnguard. Afterwards, they learn of their next move

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 

“Do we have to go in? I’ve had enough of caves to last a lifetime.” Serana said as they stared at the cave entrance. They’d followed the trail of blood all the way to a cave almost hidden among pine trees. Jotunn could smell several vampires and death hounds inside, as well as a human which had to be the monk. Serana was less than adamant about going into another cave. 

Jotunn looked at her from under his mask. “Look, I understand that you aren’t a big fan of caves after the whole entombment thing, but our best chance at reading the scroll on your back is in there and he’s probably about to be eaten by bats. So unless you want to read the scroll the hard way and go mad, you’re going to have to get used to being in caves again.”

Serana raised an eyebrow at him and put a hand on her hip. “You know, you’re excellent at these talks.”

Jotunn snorted, nodding to the cave entrance. “I know, right? Now let’s go rescue a priest from almost certain death. 

Serana grinned. “Then let’s get a move on and get this over with.”

Jotunn also grinned despite the fact she couldn’t see under his mask and stepped into the cave. After walking through a tight tunnel, the cave opened up into a large cavern. A number of rocky spires helped hold up the top of the cavern which had a big ruined fort of some kind in the middle. Running along below the ruin was a small babbling creek. The creek ran past the cavern and through the wall on the far right side of the place. A broken balcony was what met them as they entered the cavern, with precarious looking steps leading down to the left. At the back of the fort was a tall blue mass of magic or something that whirred around in a circle. As Jotunn crept to the balcony, he could see two lookouts on top of the ruined walls. Looking to his left, he could see the dark shapes of the death hounds roaming about before a tiny bridge going over the creek. And as they were in a cavern, Jotunn could hear what was going on, even on the other side. 

He heard a gruff male voice talking to an older man. The owner of the gruff voice smelled like an Orc vampire. Which was a rare combination. 

“The more you fight me, the more you will suffer, morta.” The Orc said to the old man. 

“I will resist you, monster! I must!” The old man said.

“How much longer can you keep this up, Moth Priest? Your mind was strong, but you’re exhausted from the struggle.”

“Must...resist…”

“Yes. I can feel your defenses crumbling. You want it to end. You want to give in to me. Now acknowledge me as your master!”

“Yes, master.”

Jotunn looked at Serana who nodded. She’d heard the conversation as well. It didn’t sound good. But they’d worry about saving the priest’s mind after they saved his body. 

Jotunn moved over to the start of the steps, carefully and quietly shrugging his bow off of his shoulder. Before they had left Whiterun, he had grabbed one of his bows from Jorrvaskr. He had loads of bows, but this one had served him well throughout the years. Even though it wasn’t anything special, just an ebony bow. It wasn’t even enchanted like his Nightingale bow, but it had a quant charm he couldn’t deny.

He reached over his back and grabbed two arrows from his quiver. Holding one arrow in between some of his finger, he nocked the other one to his bow. He slowly pulled the bowstring back as he raised his arms, drawing the bow back and aiming at the undead hound that was farthest away. Serena watched, motionless. 

He breathed in calmly. On the exhale, he let the arrow fly. It flew through the air and hit the hound directly in it’s head. And in the time it took Serana to blink, he had already fired the second arrow, this one nailing the other hound in between it’s eyes. 

She gasped inaudibly at how fast he’d drawn and shot. She’d never seen anyone shoot a bow that quickly before, let alone shoot with such impressive precision. 

She watched as Jotunn turned towards the fort and drew two more arrows from his quiver. Then he aimed at the two lookouts and dropped them silently, neither making a sound as they crumpled to the floor. 

Jotunn then looked at Serana who was staring at him. He grinned at her and gave her a thumbs up. She rolled her eyes, pretending that she hadn’t just been impressed by him.

Jotunn started to carefully climb down the ruined steps to their left, with Serana following close behind. They passed the tiny bridge and stuck to the side of the old fort’s walls, edging closer to the broken entrance. Sneaking into the fort, Jotunn slung his bow back over his shoulder and silently unsheathed one of his swords. He made a halting gesture with his free hand, but Serana just frowned and walked past him. She apparently didn’t care for the element of surprise anymore. 

“Come on, there’s only three of them left. This is going to be easy.” Serana said as she ran up a winding staircase up to the top of the fort. 

Jotunn cursed, having no other choice but to follow her. They could have killed the last three the easy way. Now they had to kill them the slightly less easy way. Jotunn was never one to shy away from a fight, but if he could choose between killing someone very easily or easily, he was always going to choose very easily. Besides, sneaking around killing bad guys was far more entertaining than running around like a crazed berserker hacking and slashing.

He was probably only annoyed by her action because he was more used to his allies following his lead. At least until the actual fighting started. And Serana seemingly ignoring what he was trying to do irked him. It was these few moments where he regretted not having already told her who he really was. 

He reached the top of the stairs to see Serana rushing off at the Orc vampire. Two more vampires were hurrying to cut her off, but once they saw Jotunn, they turned their attention onto him. Immediately, he broke off at a run, deciding to just attack instead of waiting for them to come to him. 

Closing the already small gap between them, he suddenly threw his sword at the vampire farthest away. The sword stuck in the vampire’s head as it fell. By the time it fell, Jotunn had reached the other one who thrusted forward with it’s own blade. Dodging by a hair, Jotunn stepped closer and borrowed the vampire’s sword, surprising the fiend with his powerful grasp. Surprise that only increased as Jotunn used the vampire’s own sword to kill it before dropping the sword over the vampire’s ashes. He retrieved his blade from the other ash pile and glanced over to see how Serana was faring with the Orc. 

He looked over just in time to watch her slit the orc’s throat as she slipped around him. The poor bastard reached for his neck even as he slumped to the dirt, turning to ash as dead vampires so often do. 

The threat having been dealt with, Jotunn took the time to look around a bit. Several small rock pillars formed the base of the weird magical trap that the rather unfortunate monk was in. The monk himself was just an old man. One who was looking at him with a murderous look in his eye. Which made sense being how the Orc had taken his mind. And seeing how the Orc was now a pile of dust on the ground, the monk would soon no longer feel the desire to serve. The problem was, however, Jotunn didn’t quite know how to undo the magical barrier. He had, of course, dealt with similar barriers before, but he had yet to see any sort of button to press or switch to pull in order to dispel the barrier. 

“Either this is important or Malkus here had a very strange personal life.” Serana said. Jotunn looked over at her and what she was holding in her hand. It was a decent sized ball that was glowing the same color as the rock pillars. She raced up some steps to a pedestal Jotunn hadn’t already seen, one that most likely was the spheres original home. Jotunn looked back at the moth priest and quickly noticed his hands had flames trickling out of them. The signs of a spell that Jotunn recognized all too well. The priest was a powerful mage, still under the mind of the Orc. And Serana was just about to drop the magical barrier. 

“For fucks sake.” Jotunn said as he dove to the side just as the barrier dropped and the monk chucked a massive fiery explosion at the spot he’d just been in. The moment he hit the ground, he was back up, running and tackling the monk before the man could throw another fireball. As they fell to the floor, Jotunn brought out a dagger and using the pommel, knocked the old man out. Once the man went limp, Jottun relaxed and shoved the man away before getting back on his feet. 

He glowered at Serana who had run down the steps once she’d realized the priest was still mind controlled. “Next time we have to lower a magical barrier with a mind controlled mage, do me a favor and let me be the one to use the damn key.”

Serana laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. “Um, yeah. Sorry about that. I probably should have checked to see if he was still being controlled before I put the key in.”

Jotunn’s nose twitched. “You don’t say?”

Serana rolled her eyes and squatted beside the priest’s unconscious body. “So what do we do with him now? Tie him up and lug him back to Fort Dawnguard?”

Jotunn shook his head. “We wait for him to wake up and then we’ll have a talk with him. I’m sure his mind will be his own once he comes to.”

“And if it isn’t?” 

Jotunn grinned. “Then I hit him again and the process repeats itself.”

Serana chuckled. “Works for me.” She said, dragging the monk over to the wall and leaning him against it. 

Jotunn winced at her less than gentle handling. “Come on, he’s an old man. At least try not to hurt him.”

Serana snorted, raising an eye at him as he joined her. “Says the guy that just knocked him out.”

Jotunn raised a hand and then dropped it. “Good point.”

Serana then picked the man up and they went to the cave entrance. They settled in and waited for the old man to wake up, which took quite a long time. Eventually though, the priest did wake up and when he did, he found Jotunn and Serana looking down at him. 

The monk shook his head groggily and when he opened his eyes, they were no longer clouded. Even still, Jotunn put a hand over his swords just in case. 

Seeing the action, the old man hurried to calm him. “Please, that...that wasn’t me you fought. My mind was not my own.”

“Clearly.” Scoffed Serana.

The old man carefully got to his feet and bowed slightly. “I owe you both for the timely rescue. Though I wonder why a vampire would fight another of its kind, much less at the side of a human whose mind is his own.”

Jotunn smiled. “Believe me, I’m surprised by it too. As for the why, well we’ve been looking for someone like you. Are you alright?”

The old man nodded. “I’m quite alright, minus a small headache.”

“Sorry about that, by the way.”

The priest nodded again. “Call it payment for throwing a fireball at you,” He bowed. “Dexion Evicus is my name. I’m a Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower. These vampires claimed they had some purpose in store for me, but they wouldn’t say what. Probably hoping to ransom me, the fools.”

Jotunn grinned at him. “Actually, we know why they needed you, because we need you for the same purpose.”

Dexion raised an eye. “You do? Alright then, enough mysteries.”

“We’re called the Dawnguard. Well, technically we aren’t but we’re helping them out.” Jotunn explained. 

Serana sighed. “Anyway, we need you to read the Elder Scroll on my back.”

Dexion gasped. “You have a Scroll? Remarkable! If my knowledge of history serves me, I recall that the Dawnguard was an ancient order of vampire hunters. I will be happy to assist you with your Elder Scroll. Just tell me where I need to go. I doubt you want me to read the scroll in this cave.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Not if we can help it. Meet us at Fort Dawnguard, bear Stendarr’s Beacon.”

Dexion nodded. “Very well. I’ll hurry on my way there before more of these vampires turn up. I will meet you there.” Dexion said before walking out of the cave and into the fresh air.

Jotunn and Serana followed soon after. The sun had come out while they were inside the cave and so Serana put her hood back over her face. Jotunn opted to leave his mask off for a while. It got hot under there after a while. 

As they watched Dexion walk away, Jotunn turned to his vampire companion. “So...are you sure there aren’t any other priests named after bugs that we need to find? Any ant priests, bee priests, or cricket priests we need to look for?”

Serana groaned, but she was smiling. “Oh har, har. You think you’re hilarious, don’t you?”

Jotunn smiled. “I don’t just think I am. I  _ know  _ I am.”

“Does Lydia and Aela like this overly arrogant side of you? Because I sure do find it annoying.”

He winked at her. “Actually, they don’t. They hate it.”

Serana laughed. “Well, shit. Look at that, I agree with them on something.”

Jotunn wagged his finger before her as they started down towards the road leading back to Dragon’s Bridge to let the guards know about the mess of a wagon that had been Dexion’s. “Ah, ah, ah. Careful now. Agreeing with someone is often the first step towards friendship with someone.”

Serana snarled and slapped his arm. “Like that will happen. They hate me.”

“Only because they don’t know you very well.” Jotunn said, hoping she’d take the bait. 

“And if they knew me better?” Serana asked.

Jotunn smiled innocently at her, secretly delighted that she’d fallen for it. “If they knew you better, then they wouldn’t hate you; they’d despise you.”

He laughed heartily even as she slapped his arm several times. Even though they were just slaps, they hurt like crazy. She  _ was  _ a vampire after all.

Jotunn nodded a greeting to Isran as the Breton entered the main hall where he and Serana were waiting with Dexion. The two had arrived back at Fort Dawnguard a few days after the priest had. Once they arrived, they took a couple hours to rest from the trip, during which Serana had given Dexion the Elder Scroll so he could prepare. Then Jotunn had them all gather in the hall. He wanted to get the reading over as quickly as possible. They needed to know what the Scroll said before they could plan their next move. 

Serana leaned against the wall on the far side of the room, preferring to stand by rather than with the others. Isran nodded towards Dexion, crossing his arms as he joined Jotunn and Dexion. “I have to say, I’m impressed you could find a Moth Priest so quickly.”

Jotunn gave a grin. “I’m an impressive guy. Is everything ready?”

“For the reading? Yeah. Everything’s ready.”

Jotunn turned to Dexion. “Glad you made it here safely, Dexion.”

“Yes, my journey was considerably easier without getting abducted by vampires.” Dexion said with a short chuckle. 

Jotunn smiled. “And are you prepared to read the Elder Scroll?”

Dexion nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, most certainly! Let’s find out what secrets the scroll can tell us,” He said, unfurling the scroll and raising it up. “Now, if everyone will please be quiet, I must concentrate.” His eyes scanned the scroll slowly as the others waited patiently for him to tell them what he was reading.

“I see a vision before me, an image of a great bow. I know this weapon! It is Auriel’s Bow! Now a voice whispers, saying ‘Among the night’s children, a dread lord will rise. In an age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will struggle with light and the night and the day will be as one.’ The voice fades and the words begin to shimmer and distort. But wait, there is more here. The secret of the bow’s power is written elsewhere. I think there is more to the prophecy, recorded in other scrolls. Yes, I see them now. One contains the ancient secrets of the dragons, and the other speaks of the potency of ancient blood. My vision darkens, and I see no more. To know the complete prophecy, we must have the other two scrolls.” Dexion folded the scroll back up and wavered, shaking his head. “I must rest now. The reading made me weary.” The old man said. 

Isran steadied him, saying, “Come on old man. You should get some rest.” He said before they headed off towards the sleeping quarters. 

Jotunn pursed his lips as he watched them leave. He groaned, rubbing his temples. “Ugh. Gods I fucking hate prophecies. Why can’t they ever be simple and not clouded in mystery?” He mumbled as Serana walked up to him. 

“Do you have a moment to talk?” Serana asked him, her eyes serious. 

Jotunn smirked. “I always have time for my blood sucking pal. What’s on your mind? Please tell me you don’t have a sudden urge to feed on the bloody corpses of everyone in the fort.”

She scowled. “No of course I don’t, you ass. Dexion said we need two other Elder Scrolls. I think I know where we can start looking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will start the Scroll hunting. Until then and stay safe! :)


	18. A Scroll in Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana go looking for the Dragon Scroll in an unusual hiding place and Serana learns some more about Jotunn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty everyone, thanks for bearing with me! I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and I just want to say I’m still all good! Just had a bit of writers block that I had to get through haha So thank you for being patient :)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 

“Well? No need to keep me in suspense.” Jotunn said with a smile. 

Serana grunted, rolling her eyes. “You have no sense for dramatic flair. But what I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted me, I think I know where to start looking for one of the scrolls. The blood scroll, not the dragon one.”

Jotunn grinned at her. “And why didn’t you say something earlier so Isran could hear it too? He’s the leader here, not me. Remember. I’m just an advisor.”

Serana’s eyes narrowed. “Really? You really have to ask that? Half the people in this fort would just as soon kill me as talk to me. That doesn’t exactly make me want to open up to them. I got a warmer welcome from my father, and that’s saying something.”

“In their defense, the people in this fort have dedicated their lives to fighting vampires, so...And does Harkon even care about you anymore? ‘Cuz it seemed to me that he was happier the scroll had returned more than he was happy that you were back.” Jotunn said as the two walked over to the side of the hall for slightly more privacy. 

Serana snorted, leaning against the wall as Jotunn was finding she often did. “You know, I’ve asked myself the same thing. Before we went to my home, I’d thought that if he saw me, he might feel something again. But I guess I don’t really factor in at this point. I don’t even think he sees me as his daughter anymore. I’m just… a means to an end.”

Jotunn crosses his arms. “Oh, yeah. I’d bet money that he only really sees you as the person holding onto the Elder Scroll. Speaking of which, you haven’t exactly said where to maybe find the other Scroll.”

Serana nodded. “We need to find my mother, Valerica. She’ll definitely know where it is, and if we’re lucky, she actually has it herself.”

Jotunn held a hand up to stop her going further. “Hold on, you said you didn’t know where she went. I sure hope you have an idea on where we might be able to find her. Otherwise this plan on yours is shot from the start.”

She nodded again, albeit less confident than before. “The last time I saw her, she said that she’d go somewhere safe...somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she wouldn’t tell me anything. But it’s more of a lead than you have so don’t even start,” She said quickly, seeing that Jotunn was about to say some snarky comment, which he absolutely was. “But the way she said it…‘somewhere he would never search.’ It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it.”

Jotunn grunted, nodding a greeting to Agmaer who walked by. “Sounds like she was being cautious. One has to be when running away from insane husbands.”

Serana hummed. “Maybe. What I can’t figure out is why she said it that way. Besides, I can’t imagine a single place my father would avoid looking. And he’s had all this time, too. Any ideas?”

Jotunn scratched his beard thoughtfully, trying to think of somewhere one could hide from a vampire that could search for millennia. It took him all of forty seconds before he came to the conclusion that might as well have been staring him in the face. If I was hiding from an immortal being, I would hide in the one place that they would never think I’d be dumb enough to hide in.

He grinned at her. “If you had to hide from an immortal maniac, where would you hide?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.”

He snickered. “Because if I was hiding from someone like that, then I would hide in their backyard. Which would be somewhere that they would never in a billion years think to check. Who would be dumb enough to hide in plain sight, right?”

Serana’s brow furrowed as she began to understand what he was getting at. 

Jotunn laughed. “Harkon hasn’t been able to find your mother because she’s been hiding in his backyard. I’d bet good money she’s on that island somewhere, shaking her head at how dumb her husband is for not checking the obvious.”

Serana’s mouth twitched. She was almost impressed. “That...actually makes a lot of sense. There’s a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients for our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn’t stand the place. Too...peaceful. She very well may be hiding out there. It’s worth a look at least.”

Jotunn chuckled. “They aren’t exactly going to let us use the front door though. It isn’t like we can show up and ask to poke around the castle so we can find your mother and get her help in beating Harkon.”

“True. But I know a way we can get into the courtyard without arousing suspicion,” Jotunn snickered but she ignored him and his childish mind. There’s an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel from the castle exits there. I think that’s our way in.”

Jotunn nodded. “Great. We can go there after we go to Riften.”

Serana groaned. “Riften? Why do we have to go there again? It’s gross there.”

Jotunn frowned slightly. “It isn’t gross there. I happen to like Riften. Besides, we have to go there eventually anyway so we might as well get it over with.”

“Why?” Groaned Serana. 

“Because the Dragon Scroll is there, that’s why.”

Serana choked on her own saliva as she gasped. “Bw-what? How could you possibly know that?”

Jotunn shrugged, enjoying the shocked look plastered across her face. “Because I put it there.”

Serana groaned, rubbing her forehead. “This is just too much. Since when did you...you know what? I’m not sure I want to know how you acquired an Elder Scroll.”

Jotunn chuckled as he smiled at the vampire. “That’s probably best. You wouldn’t believe how I got it anyway. Especially since I got it from the past.”

Serana gave a long sigh. In the short time she’d known Jotunn, she’d learned fairly quickly to not press for more answers. He liked to tease her with the hint of some interesting story and never actually tell her it. So it was better to ultimately ignore his hints. She only learned anything about him if he let her, she was finding out. 

The two grabbed their things, said their goodbyes, and then left the fort, heading for Riften. As they walked along the path, the Rift was flaunting it’s usual atmosphere at them. A heavy fog drifted through the trees, following the breeze that rustled the multicolor leaves. The sun was practically hidden behind the fog and the clouds, almost to the point where Serana didn’t have to wear her hood. Dew clung to their clothes, making them damp. Serana complained as they walked, stating that if she wanted to feel damp, she could just go into any cave. Jotunn however, didn’t mind the weather. It was more than comfortable to him. Mainly because he was so used to the Rift’s weather that he felt odd when he wasn’t damp from fog and mist. 

“So let me guess: you keep the scroll in your house in Riften? I’m assuming you have a house there as well?” Serana asked as they walked. 

Jotunn chuckled. “What? No, that’d be absurd. I don’t keep it in my house. Heh, I’m not that crazy.”

Serana looked at him sidelong. “But you do have a house in Riften?”

“‘Course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

Serana sighed, somehow not surprised in the slightest that he had yet another house in a major city. “Alright. If you don’t keep the scroll in your house, where do you keep it? I mean, what safe place would you keep something that powerful?”

“You’ll see. It’s perfectly safe where it is.”

Serana was content to drop the matter until they arrived at the city a short time later. Even before they reached the city gates, she could smell a plethora of scents. Cheap mead, fish, crap, puke, and other such pleasant smells wafted through the air and entered her nostrils, much to her displeasure. To her, Riften was the very definition of a shithole.

To Jotunn, it was home. 

As they walked up to the gates, a guard held his hand up to stop them. “Before you enter Riften, you have to pay the visitor’s tax.”

Serana bristled in anger while Jotunn groaned. He had forgotten that Brynolf was still pulling this stunt every other week. He didn’t blame him; it was an easy way of getting some extra coin...however annoying it was for a fellow guild member. 

Jotunn stepped forward, pulling his hood back and revealing his mask. Upon recognition of the mask and what it represented, the guard hurried to apologize. “Terribly sorry sir, I didn’t realize it was you. Head on in. Business is good, like always.”

Jotunn nodded and put his hood back on before pushing open the gate and walking into the city, followed by a confused and curious Serana. 

“What was that about? An attempted shakedown?” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Was Jotunn’s reply. 

Instead of walking further into the city like Serana thought he would, Jotunn instead turned to his left and began walking along the city walls. Serana followed, wondering what he was up to. A couple minutes later, the two were standing in the middle of the city’s cemetery. Serana blinked, putting a hand on her hip as she looked around. “Okay, please tell me you didn’t bury an Elder Scroll in a grave.”

Jotunn turned to her, smiling underneath his mask. “Nothing so base as that,” He looked around to check that no one else was nearby. “Over here.” He said before walking over to a stone casket that had its own little hut over it. 

“Have you finally lost your mind? This is a cemetery. Why did you hide the scroll in a cemetery?” Serana asked as she joined him in the stone hut. 

Jotunn took his mask off and clipped it to his belt. “I didn’t hide it in a cemetery. I hid it under a cemetery. In the sewers beneath the city. Oh, and I’d move back if I was you.”

He made a shoo gesture and Serana took a step back. He then raised his hand up to an odd symbol that was carved into the casket. It was a long triangle with a circle in the middle of it. Jotunn pushed his finger against the circle and a clink could be heard before the casket slowly moved back into the wall of the hut, revealing the secret entrance to the Thieves Guild. It was only known to the members of the guild, Maven, and a select few of Jotunn’s closest friends. And now, because of the circumstances, to Serana. 

“Now if you’d be so kind as to follow me.” Jotunn said with a smile, enjoying the look of disgust on the vampire’s face. The thought of having to go into the sewers to retrieve the scroll was clearly not a nice one for her. And since he could already smell the Ratway, he was willing to bet that she could too. Which was another reason why she wasn’t happy with the thought.

Jotunn led the way down the ladder hatch into the cistern as the casket slid back into place. 

As Serana jumped down from the ladder, Jotunn faced her, spreading his arms out wide. “Welcome to the Ratway, home of the infamous Thieves Guild. And while it’s still horrible, I promise you'll get used to the smell. Eventually.”

Serana wrinkled her nose and lowered her eyebrows. “You hid a scroll among a den of thieves. Honestly, Jotunn, this is a new level of dumb. Even for you.”

Jotunn made a sour face. “Hey now. It isn’t just sitting out in the open with rats chewing on it.”

“Really? For some reason, I find that hard to believe.” Serana said, taking note of the other people walking about in the cistern. They were all dressed in the same shady looking outfit. And all of them appeared to be quietly sizing her up, presumably judging if she had anything valuable on her. 

As for the cistern, it was every bit as dirty that she had expected a sewer to be. It was round, with four hallways leading away from it. Bed and tables were strewn about in front of the walls and a shrine of what looked to be Nocturnal was off to one side, in between two small pipes draining water into the pool below a raised platform in the middle of the place. On the opposite side of the cistern was a great hulking metal door. Near the door was a wise desk with piles of paper. Behind the desk were some shelves, displaying several curious looking items. Two were even giant pink gems that looked incredibly valuable.

“Hey, Jotunn.” Serana turned to see who had just spoken. A woman was walking up to them with bright blonde, almost white hair and cold eyes. She wore a similar garb of the other people in the cistern, excerpt hers was black. A dagger was at her hip. The woman looked pissed off. “Perfect timing, as always. The old man is at it again. I tried calming him down but you know how he gets.”

Jotunn frowned, something he didn’t do often. “Thanks, Vex. I’ll go talk to him. In the meantime, can you get Del and Brynolf and meet me in front of the vault? I need to make a deposit.”

The woman, Vex, nodded and walked off after glaring at Serana which Jotunn suspected she’d do. Vex was wary around friends. Even more so around strangers.

Jotunn walked around the side of the platform and to a short hallway that led to the lock room, which was what he called the part of the cistern where guild members would go to sharpen their lock picking skills and train. It was also the place the old man was most likely to go to during one of his moods. 

He didn’t really want to show Serana more of his life, but at this point it couldn’t be helped. They needed the scroll eventually and she needed to know it was safe. She’d have learned he was the guild master eventually. Although, he kind of wished she wasn’t about to learn something else about him. 

He stepped into the lock room with Serana close behind. The old man was just where Jotunn knew he’d be: attacking the practice dummies set up as if they were the bandits.

Jotunn cleared his throat and moved closer to the old man as Serana watched from the entrance of the room. Granted, he was old so he wasn’t doing much. Just banging on the dummy with a knife. 

“Old man!” Jotunn said loudly. 

He continued to strike at the training dummy, seemingly unaware anyone else was there. 

Jotunn sighed. “Snilf!” He yelled. 

Serana blinked in surprise. The old man’s name was Snilf? What kind of name is that?

The old man paused in his barrage of strikes. He was wearing fancy clothes which were better suited for someone of nobility. He had long, thin white hair that went down to his shoulders and a big bald patch was on the top of his head. 

Snilf turned around and completely ignored Serana, only paying attention to Jotunn who he eyed with suspicion. 

“So...You’re back. That’s just pissing great.” Snilf said rather curtly. 

Jotunn’s eyes twitched. “How many times do you have to be told old man? If you keep hitting stuff whenever you get upset, then one of these days you’re going to hurt yourself. Or worse: your heart will give out.”

Snilf snorted, lowering his head to look at the filthy floor of the sewer. “Well it’s taking its damn time! You know how I spend my days whenever you aren’t around? I spend every day wishing it was my last day! Then maybe I could see them again, if only for a moment.”

Jotunn growled and stepped forward, grabbing Snilf by the scruff of his shirt. “If you want to die so damn badly, why don’t you throw yourself into the lake and drown? Leave the guild behind. Leave Edda behind too while you’re at it; see how long she lasts without you to help her. Better yet, kill yourself and leave me behind. How’s that? I’m sure your wife and daughter wouldn’t mind that you left everyone else behind just to say hello to them. So go ahead, Snilf. End it all and see if you have the guts to look them in the eyes afterwards.”

Snilf struggled to free himself, but Jotunn’s grip was iron. With a roar, Snilf raised his knife and jammed it into Jotunn’s side. And had Jotunn not been wearing his armor, the dulled blade might have even been able to cut him. Jotunn winced slightly and raised a hand to stop Serana from slashing the old man’s guts out. Snilf stared at him, his eyes so full of remorse and hate. Jotunn knew Snilf well enough to know that Snilf’s anger and remorse weren’t aimed at him or what had just happened. His anger was geared towards himself. It was always geared towards himself. 

With tears in his eyes, Snilf buried his head in Jotunn’s shoulder, clinging to him as he sank to the floor. The knife fell from his hand and clattered to the ground. “I’m stuck in this nightmare, Jotunn. This nightmare where I can’t die and leave everyone behind but also can’t go on living without seeing them again. It’s like my heart is constantly being torn in half all the time between you all and them. I just…I miss them so much.”

Jotunn hugged Snilf as he cried, patting his back gently. “I know, Snilf. I know. And I wish things were different. For your sake, I wish you had died with them.”

Snilf choked back his tears and looked at Jotunn. “Don’t be stupid. You wouldn’t have lasted another week on those streets without me. You’re too helpless otherwise.”

Jotunn chuckled. “You give me too much credit. I wouldn’t have lasted another two days, much less a week without you.”

Snilf smiled as Jotunn helped him back to his feet. “And you give yourself too little credit. I’m okay now. Thank you, Jotunn,” He finally seemed to have noticed Serana standing in the entrance and nodded at her. “You going to introduce me to your new friend?”

Jotunn smiled. “Maybe one day. We’re here on business.”

Snilf nodded and retrieved his knife. “Ain’t you always? Anyway, I’ll be seeing you around. Try not to get yourself killed out there runt.”

Jotunn snickered. “Try not to break any bones old man.” He said before turning on his heel and heading back to the cistern. 

As they walked through the hall, Serana opened her mouth to speak but Jotunn beat her to it. 

“That was Snilf. He is—or was— the beggar that took me under wing when I was a kid and helped teach me everything I know about sneaking around. He’s sort of like a father figure to me. So thanks for not making him a smear of blood on the wall after he drew the knife on me.”

Serana nodded. “Thanks for raising your hand to stop me. Otherwise he’d definitely be a smear by now.”

They reached the cistern again to see Vex waiting with two other men in front of the metal door. Both men were wearing similar outfits as Vex. One had a shaved head and was twirling a key in his hand. The other had long red hair and a goatee. All three people stared at Serana as she approached, sizing her up. 

The bald one spoke with a thick accent that Serana couldn’t quite place. “You better have a damn good reason for bringing a vampire here.”

Vex nodded. “If you hadn’t been the wrong that brought her, I’d have gutted her the moment I saw her.”

The red haired man held his hands up. “Easy now, Vex. I’m sure the Boss has a good reason for bringing a vampire into our humble sewers. Don’t you, lad?”

Jotunn grinned as he began rummaging through his traveling bag. “Of course I do. Everyone, this is the vampire I rescued from that old crypt. Everyone, this is Serana. Serana, this is Vex, Brynolf, and Delvin. Serana here wants to make sure my Elder Scroll is safe and sound. Ah ha!” He said as he pulled out a key identical to that of Delvin’s from his bag. 

Delvin shrugged. “Sure, Boss. But what does this vampire have to do with your reading material?”

Serana frowned. “Wait, what do you mean boss? Why do you three keep calling Jotunn boss?”

Brynolf laughed. “You mean you haven’t told her yet?” He turned to Serana with a gleam in his eye. “You’ve been traveling around with the leader of the Thieves Guild, lass. And also the—.”

Jotunn coughed suddenly and Brynolf effortlessly changed what he was going to say. “...and also the best thief in Tamriel.”

Serana’s mouth gaped. It made a certain amount of sense however, the more she thought about it. It’d explain why Jotunn was so good at sneaking around and also explain why he was able to afford a bunch of houses. It still didn’t explain everything. Like why everyone seemed to already know him or where he got his fighting skills from. Though it was more information on him than she had a minute ago so she gladly took it. 

She snorted. “Actually? I’m not that surprised you’re the leader of a guild of thieves. You do have that shifty thief look about you.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s just open the vault.”

Jotunn, along with Delvin, Vex, and Brynolf all separately put their keys into the lock of the door and with four clicks, swung the huge door open and stepped inside the vault. Serana followed them inside and whistled. 

Inside was heaps and heaps of all sorts of treasure, gems, and coins. Chests overflowing with riches, so much so that the floor was littered with coins. On the opposite wall was a table with two things on it. The first was a shimmering crown made of gold and with what looked to be twenty-four red stones in it. Just from looking at it, Serana could tell it was priceless. 

And propped up on a tiny pedestal on the other end of the table was an Elder Scroll. 

“Anyone that wants to get into this vault has to have all four of our keys in order to unlock the door. Which was reinforced with dragon bone a few years back. Not to mention that anyone trying to reach the door would either have to fight through Riften as well as everyone down here in the Ratway, or they’d have to sneak into Riften as well as past everyone in the Ratway who are all experts in the art of stealth,” Jotunn said proudly as he walked over to the scroll and picked it up carefully. “Not to mention that should anyone but me move this scroll from its pedestal, they’d be frozen instantly by a magic glyph I placed over the pedestal.” He put the scroll back and turned to smile at Serana.

Serana pursed her lips as she stared around the vault and at the Elder Scroll. She huffed. “Alright then. The scroll is safe inside a shitty sewer. Consider me convinced. Now can we please get out of these sewers before I pass out from the smell?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ye enjoyed this chapter! I have some good plans for next chapter hehe. Until then! And please continue to stay safe everyone!


	19. I Am...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn opens up about more of his upbringing and Serana learns a big secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so this chapter is a bit shorter than usual but hopefully quality over quantity and all that haha

CHAPTER NINETEEN 

“Were you and Valerica close?” Jotunn asked Serana as they sat around their makeshift camp. The two had left the Dragon Scroll in the vault in Riften seeing as it was more than safe there, and then headed out onto the path. They were now close to Morthal and had decided to make camp for a couple hours. At the pace they were going, Jotunn suspected they’d reach Solitude and then Castle Volkihar in a few more weeks. 

Serana smiled happily, as if remembering a better time. “We were almost inseparable. Before my father became obsessed with the prophecy, my mother and I spent a lot of time together. She was very fond of her alchemical garden in the castle courtyard. She taught me quite a bit about cultivating quality reagents.”

Jotunn grunted. “I’m going to pretend to know what those are,” Serana rolled her eyes at his lack of chemical knowledge. “So you always got along?”

Serana nodded. “Like the best of friends. I would never hesitate to share anything with her.” Her tone changed, which Jotunn noticed instantly. 

“But then it all changed, I take it?”

“It was very sudden. It was almost like one day we were a normal family, and the next day I didn’t know who they were. I’d try to visit my mother in the garden, and she’d quickly shoo me away saying she was much too busy.”

“And that’s why you think she’s somewhere in the garden now? Cuz of whatever she was busy with?” Jotunn asked. 

“She had to be up to something in that garden. I’m hoping it’s a clue that will tell us where she went at least.”

Jotunn poked the embers of their campfire with a stick. Normally he wouldn’t have had a fire in the marsh. Too many wild animals and bandits around. But between his senses and Serana’s, nothing would be able to sneak up on them.

“So what’s it like living with a family of fellow vampires?” He asked as her put some more sticks onto the embers, relighting the fire.

Serana chuckled as she fidgeted with a smooth pebble she’d found on the ground earlier. “Aside from the powers and all the blood, there’s not much different about a vampire family from a human family.”

“Well what about your family?”

“There’s not a whole lot left to say. You’ve already seen my father’s obsession. My mother’s not a whole lot better, but you’ll see that soon enough if we have any luck finding her.”

Jotunn nodded. “And were you ever close with your father?”

“My father...no, not really. He more or less ignored me. And while I was close with my mother, she saw me more as a protege rather than a daughter. What about you? What were your parents like? Your real ones, not Snilf.” The vampire asked innocently. 

Jotunn grew quiet for a moment, staring into the embers of the fire. “Don’t know. Never met them.”

Serana cocked her head to the side. “Then who raised you when you were a toddler? Snilf?”

Jotunn shook his head. “That came later,” Serana listened intently as he explained. He didn't open up to her often and she was not going to miss out on this chance. “My parents dropped me off at some small time orphanage out in the middle of the Rift. The caretakers there raised me until I was old enough to sneak off on my own. By some stroke of luck, I managed to make it to Riften whiteout being some wolf or bear’s dinner. Tried begging for food and sucked at it. Tried stealing and was decent at it. And then Snilf took me under his wing and practically raised me from that point forward. Snilf, my friends, and my colleagues are the only family I’ve ever known. But to answer your question, I don’t know what my parents are like.”

Serana twirled her little pebble around in between her fingers, gazing at him from across their small fire. “Not knowing your parents...I know how that feels. I mean...I know it isn’t the same thing. But I was a pretty lonely child too, myself.”

Jotunn forced out a chuckle. “The two lonely childhoods. Heh. We should form a group or something.”

Serana snorted, slipping the pebble into her bag for safekeepers. 

Jotunn blinked. “And do you still feel that way? Lonely, that is.”

He peered at her closely then, hearing her swallow roughly, as if she was suddenly a little anxious.

“Not as much as I used to be. I mean growing up the way I did, you get used to being lonely. That’s...one of the reasons I wanted to come with you, actually. Obviously to stop my father was reason number one, but the other reason was to have someone to talk to again. Being by yourself for centuries definitely makes you miss company. But...what about you?” Serana said somewhat nervously. 

Jotunn frowned. “What about me?”

“Do you get lonely?”

Jotunn chuckled. “I think I have a general sense of loneliness, yes. It comes with being a thief; less people that know you mean less people that know you’re thieving.”

Serana glared at him, her eyes narrowing. “No, I mean...Are there...people in your life?”

Jotunn grinned at her. “When we first met, I was a lone adventurer that single handedly fought through draugr, death hounds, giant spiders, and vampires to reach your glowing coffin. If I had any sort of ‘people,’ I doubt I’d have been down in that crypt in the first place. So you can assume that being as I’m a loner, I try not to rely on others that much.”

Serana frowned. “And does it bother you that I’m here?”

Jotunn smiled. At first I did. Not anymore. I’m glad you’re here with me.”

Serana beamed at him, the light from the fire making her smile that much brighter. “Me too. And Jotunn? I want to say thank you for being honest and telling me about your childhood. But,  _ why  _ did you tell me? I’ve been trying to pry into your life the entire time I’ve known you and you’ve been tight lipped during all of it. So why tell me things now?”

Jotunn shrugged, poking the fire with his stick. “I guess because I like you. And after the last several weeks, I’ve grown to trust you. I don’t let many people besides my close friends or family glimpse into my life. In other words, I consider you a friend, Serana.”

Serana smiled and stood up. Moving around the fire, she came to sit down beside him. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “I appreciate that, Jotunn. And I consider you a friend as well. Against my better judgement.”

Jotunn laughed, rolling her hand off his shoulder. “And here I was thinking we were finally getting along well.”

Serana snickered. “That’s exactly the point. It was getting too nice around here; I had to give a little push to make things return to normal.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes. “See? This is why we never go anywhere nice.”

Serana huffed. “Really? I thought it was because  _ we  _ weren’t nice.”

Jotunn feigned a hurt look. “Hey, now. We are nice. I think.”

She laughed and Jotunn couldn’t help but smile. For some unknown reason, he liked the sound of her laugh. “Us? Nice? In case you haven’t noticed, Jotunn, I’m an ancient blood sucking vampire and you’re the werewolf leader of a band of thieves who also goes through old burial crypts for fun. What part of that makes us sound like we’re prime candidates to invite over for an evening ale?”

“I don’t know about you, but having an ancient vampire and a thieving werewolf over for an ale sounds like a very interesting time.”

Serana groaned. “Seriously, how do Lydia and all your other friends put up with you?”

Jotunn chuckled. “Want to know their secret?” 

When the vampire nodded, he winked at her. “It’s simple. They don’t.”

After stopping at Morthal for a couple days and sleeping in actual beds, they moved on, following the road which would take them to Solitude once more. The journey had so far been a long one. And while Jotunn would never admit it, he was enjoying having his friendly vampire companion along for the trip. Unlike every vampire he’d ever talked to, she was actually fun to be around. Granted, most vampires that had talked to him were just telling him of his immediate demise, but that was beside the point. She wasn’t just fun to be around and to talk to, she was  _ easy  _ to talk to. Aside from Lydia, he’d told her things about himself no one else knew. 

It was as if there was something about her that made him feel like he could open up around her. He practically had to force himself not to just answer any inquiries she had about him. Really, it was all he could do not to show her who he truly was. Though he wasn’t sure if he actually wanted her to know he was the Dragonborn. He was worried about how she would react. 

In his experience, people tended to react one of three ways when they find out he was the famed Dragonborn. The first batch of people tend to react with awe and surprise, usually followed by bombarding him with questions about his exploits. The second group laugh at him, claiming he’s either crazy or stupid for having the misconception that he could ever be the famous Dragonborn of legend. And the third group of people are completely unfazed by it and hardly even acknowledge it. 

Jotunn didn’t want to find out which group of people Serana belonged to out of fear that it might be the third. He could handle the first two groups, but the people that didn’t react at all were the ones he worried about. 

“So tell me again why we have to walk everywhere? Can’t we take some horses? It’d save us some time in the long run.” Serana said as they walked, shaking Jotunn from his thoughts. 

“Because I don’t want to have to worry about them every time we go into a cave or something. Besides, do you really want to smell a horse constantly?”

Serana shrugged, grinning. “The smell of two horses can’t be worse than the smell of a mangy mutt.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes from behind his mask. “Oh har har. Very funny.”

Serana chuckled as she readjusted her hood. “I thought so. Seriously though, why can’t we have a couple horses? Aren’t you rich enough to have several?”

Jotunn sighed. “Yes, but I only have one horse. She’s...special...which is the main reason why I have her. I only bring her out if I really need her.”

Serana grunted. “Bring her out? What do you mean by that? Oh, wait! Let me guess: she’s a magical horse that you can conjure up with your mind powers given by an old order of horse whisperers.”

“Something like that.”

Serana laughed. “I wasn’t being serious.”

Jotunn was about to reply when he caught the scent of something coming their way. Something he hadn’t smelled in a while. Something that would have been the last thing he’d expect to smell then. A dragon. And it was quickly heading in their direction. 

Jotunn stopped walking and calmly unsheathed both of his swords, earning him a look of concern from his vampire friend. “What’s wrong?” 

Jotunn glanced over at her.  _ I guess Paarthurnax hasn’t preached to this one yet. Oh well. There are worse ways for her to find out my secret. _

“I can smell a dragon. It’s most likely caught my scent as well and so now it’s on its way over here to challenge me.”

Serana held her hands up. “Woah, slow down. Why would a dragon ever challenge you? And since when have dragons been back!?”

It was then that she heard it. The sound of wings flapping far off in the distance. Judging from the sound, the wings were huge. And then she could smell the creature. It smelled almost exactly like Jotunn did, minus the wet dog scent. Like a dragon. 

Jotunn took his mask off and placed it on a fallen log a couple of feet off the road and pulled his hood back. Rolling his shoulders, he turned to face the direction of the incoming dragon which like he knew it would, roared out a challenge as it drew nearer. He cleared his throat. “If you don’t want to be crushed by a falling dragon, I suggest you stand clear.”

Serana frowned as she took a few steps back. “Falling dragon? What?”

Over the treelike, she saw the dragon as it flew towards them. It was huge, easily the size of a tower. It’s wingspan was as long as two houses standing beside each other and it’s grey scaled hide was riddled with spikes. Large claws extended from its feet and long curved horns protruded from its head. It had a jaw that could easily swallow a man in one bite. And the roar it generated was both incredible and terrifying. Serana had smelled a dragon before and had heard stories about them, but never had she seen one in person. 

She raised her hands, each hand sizzling with electricity as she realized the dragon was making a beeline for them. “Jotunn..?”

Jotunn twirled his swords around and started jumping from foot to foot. “Ahh, I’ve missed this.”

“Jotunn, what should we do?” Serana asked, her voice cracking. The dragon was almost on top of them. 

Jotunn looked over his shoulder at her and grinned. “There’s something you should probably know about me. I’m not just a thief or a werewolf,” The dragon opened its maw. Fire was already beginning to shoot out at them as it soared above their heads. Jotunn winked at Serana. “I’m also the Last Dragonborn.” He said before turning back to the dragon and bellowing out an almost deafening shout which brought the huge dragon crashing down to the ground. 

“JOOR ZAH FRUL!”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And yes, I know I love my little cliffhangers hehe. Next chapter will obviously be a dragon fight so be prepared for that and for the fact that it will take a little longer to write as I want to make it right. Until then! And stay safe! :)


	20. Dragon Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn faces off against a dragon which leaves Serana with some questions. Later, she slowly starts to realize something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty thanks for the wait! I wanted to get this inevitable dragon fight done right and i think it came out well. As is expected, a big chunk of this chapter is action so I hope you like it! Also, for the sake of the story, Jotunn can Shout indefinitely and he doesn’t have to wait a while in between Shouts like the Dragonborn does ingame

CHAPTER TWENTY 

The ground shook intensely as the dragon plummeted out of the sky, crashing down like a landfall. Sliding across the ground, it’s huge form knocked over trees, sending splinters of wood flying in every direction. As it sliced through the ground, it left a deep long hole in its wake. It was almost as if a large ship was moving across the land, with its hull tearing up everything in front of it. 

Jotunn merely stepped to the side as Serana jumped out of the fallen dragon’s way before it could crush her as it slid past them. It had to have crashed through several dozen feet of trees before it slowly came to a halt. The dragon shook its head, dazed but otherwise, unharmed. It clamored to its feet and faced them angrily. 

Jotunn twirled his swords around once more and glanced at Serana, who was still in shock by what she had just witnessed. “I’ll handle this. Enjoy the show,” He said before looking back at the enraged dragon. He inhaled and on the exhale, shouted again. “WULD NAH KEST!” 

The shout rushed him forward, flinging him at the dragon and closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. The moment he reached the dragon, he ducked as the dragon snapped it’s jaws at him. Too slow!” 

He slashed the side of the dragon’s jaw with one blade while he sank the other into its leg. Furious, the dragon kicked its foot up, nearly wrenching Jotunn’s shoulder out of its socket as he used the momentum to pull his sword back out. 

Following the kick, the dragon swung its head in an obvious attempt to knock Jotunn to the ground for an easy kill. Instead of moving backwards, Jotunn instead, jumped forward until he was right at the base of the dragon’s neck. As it swung its neck at nothing, Jotunn grabbed one of his many daggers and sank it into the dragon’s neck, shoving the blade right under one of the scales. Knowing this small cut would only piss off the creature further, Jotunn threw one of his swords up in the air. Before the sword fell back into his hand, he sent a jolt of electricity out from his now free hand, aimed right at the metal dagger which acted as an enhancer for the magic and increasing the voltage. It was an old trick he’d learned early on in his dragon fighting career. The dagger helped the electricity get past the almost indestructible scales as well as send the electricity throughout the dragon’s body, doing even more damage. The dragon roared in pain, and from what Jotunn could tell, it was both cursing at Jotunn and applauding his fighting skills. 

Jotunn leaped away as the dragon’s tail came around suddenly. He was just shy of dodging the whole thing and the tip of the tail smacked into him and sent him flying several feet. He landed with a loud grunt, having the breath knocked out of him. Coughing for air, he rose to his feet. One of his swords had been knocked out of his grip as he fell and was now lying in the grass out of his reach. 

“Jotunn?” Serana yelled from off to the side, her voice breaking. 

“I’m alright!” Jotunn yelled back, his eyes never leaving the dragon’s.

He faced the dragon with his remaining sword in his hand. It stared him down, it’s jaw billowing out smoke. Raising its head and opening its mouth, it prepared to Shout.

_ So that’s how it’s going to be. A test of fire. _

Jotunn inhaled too, readying his own Shout. 

The dragon let loose a current of flames, aimed at Jotunn who in that split second, let loose with his own flames. “YOL TOOR SHUL!” He shouted, sending a massive wave of fiery energy at the dragon’s flames. His Shout overtook the dragon’s and engulfed the dragon in fire so hot, it burned the surrounding area to ash. Anything but a dragon would have died on the spot from such intense flames. The fire was enough to char the dragon’s wings and cause it to take a step back. When the flames finally died down, the dragon’s leathery wings were charred and burned to the point where it’d be a wonder if it could fly again. Several patches of the wings had crumpled away, leaving many scarred holes. And a great deal of scales had been damaged so badly that they simply fell off. But it wasn’t enough to kill the dragon. 

It gazed at Jotunn with such hatred and admiration, he was sure that the fight would be decided in the next few moments. 

Growling, the dragon stood on its hind legs, raising its head like a snake might right before striking its prey. Jotunn crouched, ready for the inevitable attack. 

In a flash, the dragon lunged at him, it’s jaw wide open to rend him in half. Jotunn waited until the last possible second. He waited until he could practically smell the creature’s last meal before suddenly letting loose with a Shout so powerful, the very ground shook from the force. “FUS RO DAH!” Instantly, the dragon was shoved backwards as the Shout slammed into it, pushing it off balance. Wasting no time, Jotunn leapt up from his crouch and swung onto the dragon’s head and sank his blade deep inside the majestic beast’s eye. Then, as it thrashed around violently, he brought the blade out only to hack it clean through the dragon’s open jaw. The beast swung its head around randomly, roaring in agony and standing back up on its hind legs, flapping its tattered wings. And finally, Jotunn found a small chink in the dragon’s scaled armor. Giving a roar of his own, he brought his blade down and into the back of the beast’s skull. With one last weakened snarl, the great dragon slumped to the ground, dead. Jotunn jumped off its head and regained his footing before pulling his sword out of his foe’s skull. He flicked the blade in order to get rid of most of the blood that now coated it before he slid it back into its sheath. 

Looking down at the fallen dragon, he bowed his head out of respect. He never truly enjoyed killing dragons. They were ancient majestic beings that deserved every ounce of respect given to them. It saddened him whenever he had to kill one. He hadn’t fought one in a while, mainly because a good portion of them had decided to follow Paarthurnax’s teachings. But every so often, one would find Jotunn and challenge him, wishing to test his Thu’Um. And each time had the same results.

As he watched, the dragon’s hide melted away as Jotunn absorbed its soul, leaving behind only skeletal remains. Jotunn calmly walked over to where his fallen sword lay and picked it up, returning it to his side. Then he turned around and grinned at Serana. The vampire was staring at him, wide eyed and slack jawed. She had just witnessed him take down a dragon single handedly, like something out of a legend. She’d heard of a few Dragonborn’s in her time, but she hadn’t had the chance to meet one before, much less see one in action. Then it dawned on her. All of this time, she’d been traveling with a Dragonborn and she didn’t even know. 

“Fuck. That was...You were...Incredible.” She stammered as Jotunn walked over to her. He grinned at her, surprised she had given him a compliment. She coughed and punched his arm. “You ass! I  _ knew  _ there was something big you weren’t telling me! Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were Dragonborn?”

Jotunn shrugged, unable to just come out and say that he was afraid of what her reaction would be. Which so far, wasn’t that bad. Honestly, it appeared that she’d gotten over the initial awe and shock, and was now just annoyed at his secrecy and his apparent lack of trust in her. He didn’t know whether he should be happy she didn’t react poorly or concerned by how quickly she moved on to the secret. 

“Well?” Serana said, glaring at him from under her hood. “Say something!”

“Umm, surprise?”

He winced as she punched his arm once more, in the exact same spot. She was consistently precise with her punches, he’d give her that. “Ow.”

One of Serana’s eyes twitched. “‘Ow?’ You dimwit! You could have said something about you being a damn  _ Dragonborn _ !”

Jotunn rubbed the arm she’d hit, certain there would be a bruise there next time he took his armor off. “Honestly, I kind of thought you’d have figured it out by now. In case you haven’t noticed, I  _ do  _ smell like a dragon. I mean, under all of the mutt smell at least. And why do you think I’m a Thane in basically every major city in Skyhold? Please tell me you don’t think a thief could earn that much prestige and honor.”

Serana frowned and Jotunn couldn’t help but grin. Revealing his secret to her was actually quite fun. “What, no! Shut up. I had a suspicion, but it isn’t like you’ve done a lot of Dragonborn type of stuff,” When Jotunn opened his mouth to respond, she quickly added, “Before five minutes ago. Seriously, why didn’t you let me know sooner?”

Jotunn pursed his lips. “Aside from thinking you’d figure it out on your own, I didn’t think you needed to know. It isn’t relevant to our little quest we have going. And I don’t know, I guess I was worried it’d screw up our blossoming rapport.”

The vampiress let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Ugh. You’re hopeless. Stupid and hopeless. Why would it screw up our ‘blossoming rapport?’ Which, by the way, is a horrible phrase for our um...friendship? Yes, our friendship. If anything, it’s increased my respect for you and—hold on. You could have used your Shouts during all of the fights we’ve had! You idiot, you could have made everything so much easier and faster!”

Jotunn smiled. “And deny us our extra time to bond during a pitched battle? Now that’s just absurd.”

Serana groaned. “So aside from the Shouting and all that, what have you done as a Dragonborn?”

Jotunn coughed. “Not  _ a  _ Dragonborn. The  _ Last  _ Dragonborn. Before me, there hasn’t been a Dragonborn in thousands of years. And I’m guessing after I die, there won’t be another one. And that Elder Scroll I have, is actually a prophecy about me defeating Alduin and preventing what was to essentially be the end of the world. Which I did a few years ago. I’m also friends with a few dragons aside from the few that challenge me, like the one I just killed. Alright. I think that just about covers everything.”

Serana blinked, shocked. “You stopped the end of the world? You did?”

Jotunn nodded. “I did, yes. Though it was more about preventing the end of the world.”

“So when you said you could call a dragon, you were telling the truth.”

“Yup.”

“And when you told me you killed Orthjolf with magic, you actually Shouted him to death with that fire breathing Shout?” 

“Yeah.”

“And the dragon scaled armor you have in Solitude was made from dragons you yourself have slain?”

“Uh huh.”

“And the reason why you seem to have sway everywhere we go is because you’re the Dragonborn?”

“Yes, I thought I said that already.”

The vampire shook her head. “I just can’t believe it. Ugh. I’m pissed I didn’t realize it by myself. I’ve been traveling around with the Dragonborn that saved the world and I didn’t even know.” She said, clenching her fists.

Jotunn sniffed and retrieved his mask from where he’d placed it. “Well now you know. Come on, you can ask more of your questions as we walk. We should leave before anyone gets here. There’s bound to have been people that heard all of that ruckus.”

Jotunn put his mask back on and started walking again, still following the road that would take them near Solitude. Serana hurried to fall in line with him, her head already full of more questions for him. “How many dragons have you killed?”

“I don’t know, I lost track.”

“What’s it like absorbing their souls?”

“Freaky. Also, incredible.”

“What’s it feel like to Shout?”

Jotunn chuckled from under his mask. “It feels like shouting really, really loudly.”

Serana sighed. “Okay, I walked into that one, didn’t I?”

Jotunn laughed. “That you did.”

_ Hmm. He’s actually asleep for once.  _ Serana thought as she glanced over at Jotunn’s sleeping form several hours after the dragon fight. The two had walked until almost the middle of the night before they’d finally made camp. Serana had spent almost the entire time asking Jotunn all kinds of questions about him being Dragonborn. Before she’d found out his secret, she was curious to learn his secret and find out what he wasn’t telling her. But now that she knew, her curiosity had only grown. It was as if she was more determined to learn everything she could about him. The only problem was that she still wasn’t sure why she desperately desired to learn more about the mysterious man. And now that she had a taste of the truth, she wanted everything. Jotunn being Jotunn, he’d only told her what he wanted to tell her. It was both infuriating and invigorating, learning more about him. 

About an hour ago, the man had laid back against a tree and closed his eyes, with his hands nestled comfortably at his side. Serana had been lost in her senses as she sat there letting the forest they were in flow over her when she noticed that Jotunn’s heartbeat was slower than usual. It didn’t take long to realize he was actually sleeping. Which as she’d found out, was a very rare thing for him. Like he had said, he didn’t sleep often or even for that long. He would go days without sleeping and then on a random night, he’d get an hour or two of sleep. So far, it seemed to her that while he could sleep normally, he didn’t like to. From what she could tell, he was often hounded by bad dreams. Not every time he slept, but enough times for her to notice. He’d wake up suddenly, as if coming from a nightmare and his heartbeat would spike moments before waking. A couple times, she noticed he’d wake up growling. As if he was chasing or fighting something in his dreams.

She sat, listening to the sound of his heart beating rhythmically. It was somehow calming. 

She glanced over at him, noticing how his eyelids fluttered as he slept. His face was so rugged and yet, warm and peaceful. Tiny freckles dotted his face as if they were trying to hide the many scars. One scar always drew her attention more so than the others. A little scar just under his left eye. There wasn’t anything special about it. It was just another scar. Only it wasn’t made by any kind of weapon like many of the others. No, apparently Jotunn got it by tripping over his own feet and banging his head on the table in Breezehome shortly after he had finished moving in. Or so he said. 

Of all the scars he had on his face, that one was her favorite. It humanized him, made him seem less of a force of nature and more like a person. And it was the cutest.

In fact, the more she stared at him, the more she realized that he was actually very handsome. He was a constant pain in the butt and got on her nerves all the time, but he had his redeeming qualities. He was kinder than she gave him credit and had a sort of boyish enthusiasm about seeing the good in the world. He was considerate of others and did his best to make people happier. And his smile and laughter may as well have been infectious. 

Serana shook her head to dispel her thoughts.  _ Ugh. Why am I thinking nice things about that mangy mutt? He’s a rude, overly sarcastic, and unapologetic asshole with a perfect smile that can melt even the hardest of hearts in seconds and make you feel elevated beyond the stars. And he’s—Gods! Quit thinking, Serana! _

She smacked her forehead angrily and the noise riled Jotunn from his rest. He stirred, opening his eyes instantly and sitting up to look at her. 

“You alright?” He asked.

She glared at him. “Stop being nice you jerk!” She snapped at him before turning around and lying down in a huff. She did her best to slow her breathing down and think about anything other than the man a couple of feet away.  _ When did I start thinking of him at all? _

Jotunn snorted, returning to his previous position. “What’d I do? Was I snoring?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was both challenging and fun to write haha the fight scene at least. Anyway, let me know what you thought if you so desire to! And as always, until next time! Stay safe :)


	21. Secret Tunnels and Secret Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana make their way through the bowels of Castle Volkihar in their search for clues on the whereabouts of Serana’s mother. Jotunn makes a new friend hanging around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter is big on dialogue as most of the action ingame in this part is just boring easy skeletons and stuff so enjoy the banter

CHAPTER TWENTY

“Yet again, you aren’t rushing to volunteer to row for a while. Am I right in assuming you’re hoping I row the entire time?” Jotunn said between grunts of exertion as he pushed the oars through the icy cold water. They were about halfway across the water, heading towards Volkihar Castle. It was midday and the sun’s rays shone down harshly, despite there being quite a few clouds in the sky.

Aside from the fight with the dragon, their journey across Hjaalmarch and Haafingar was largely uneventful. Which was to be expected. The marshes and mountains were easy places to travel through, if one knew the tricks on how to maneuver them. And since Jotunn had spent a year after Alduin’s defeat learning all of the quickest routes around Skyrim, their already short travel time was cut in half. 

Serana glanced at him from under her hood. “I don’t see much point in trading off the oars, seeing as we’re already about halfway there. You’re doing fine.”

Jotunn frowned. “That may be so but you’re stronger than I am. If you helped row, we’d probably be on the island by now.”

Serana smiled. “Think about it like this: at least this way you are getting some exercise and improving your strength. And who knows? Maybe one day the training will pay off and you’ll be as tough as me!”

Jotunn growled and stopped rowing, handing her the oars. “Alright tough girl,  _ you  _ can row the rest of the way then.”

Serana snickered and grabbed hold of the oars, plopping then into the water and beginning to row. “Fine with me. I’d hate for your tiny arms to get tired.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes and sat back, scanning the coastline for any sign that they’d been spotted. There wasn’t much of a chance of that happening, especially during the day, but it never hurt to be cautious when trying to infiltrate a castle full of ancient powerful vampires. 

They reached the rocky beach of the island in record time and after hiding the small boat, they started to walk around the right side of the castle. The waves lapped gently against the beach and a few seabirds called out to each other overhead. Jotunn sniffed. Saltwater and sea grass was at the forefront of the scents, even overpowering the stench of death and blood coming from the castle. 

“You know, if it wasn’t for the bad neighbors, this place would make for a lovely fishing spot.” Jotunn said with a grin. 

“Sure it would,” Serana said sarcastically. “Come on, the dock should be just around this bend.”

Jotunn looked up at the castle as they walked under it. From that angle, it looked twice as menacing and creepy. He half expected the gargoyles perched on the roof to leap down on and attack them. 

Serana grunted, looking up as well. “The castle looks so big from down here. I mean, it is big, but, well, even bigger.”

“Feeling inadequate are we?” 

Serana groaned in annoyance. “Must everything be a joke to you?”

Jotunn nodded, grinning from behind his mask. “Absolutely.”

They rounded the corner and were met by a small stone carved dock. A couple upturned boats were sticking out of the water and half of the dock was reduced to rubble. Undead skeletons patrolled the dock which were no match for them. Within minutes, they were inside the castle after heading through a rotting old door. 

Jotunn frowned. “You neglected to tell me that the only other way into the castle was through a cistern that reeks.”

“Just be glad you weren’t around when it was still in use.” Was Serana’s reply. 

The two moved through the cistern, killing a crazed vampire and a bunch of undead skeletons before arriving at a crossroad. On the far side was a short drawbridge with no lever in sight to drop it. From what Jotunn could tell, they were now inside the castle sewers. 

“Take a left here. This is one of those weird double barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid. If we follow the path around, we should find the switch for the bridge.”

Jotunn shrugged and continued on, following the tunnel until they walked out into a low pool of water that flooded an open room. As they walked out, Jotunn cringed. Mounds of human skulls and bones littered the pool. There had to be hundreds of them, the last remnants of some poor highly unlucky souls.

“Unwelcome houseguests?” Jotunn said, glancing at Serana who almost looked embarrassed. 

She shook her head. “I wish. ‘Thralls that outlasted their usefulness,’ as my father would say. This is where we’d leave them. Before my parent’s big split, that is.”

Jotunn was careful not to step on any of the skulls as they walked through the room to the tunnel. “You know, the more you talk about your father, the more convinced I am that he’s a massive prick.”

Serana snickered quietly. “Tell me about it.”

Following the tunnel, they passed a skeleton chained to the wall by its wrists. It’s legs were missing as it hung. Jotunn gave it a pat on its shoulder as he passed. “Hanging in there?” He asked the skeleton, which earned him a burst of laughter from Serana.

“Gods you’re horrible.”

Jotunn grinned under his mask and moved the skeleton’s head from side to side. “My friend here seems to disagree with you.”

Serana smiled and nudged hun away from the skeleton. “Leave the poor guy alone. He’s clearly been through a lot.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Nah, he’s fine. Nothing gets under his skin.”

Serana snorted with laughter and ushered Jotunn away. “We’re horrible people.”

Jotunn nodded. “Oh, absolutely. It’s great.”

After another couple distasteful jokes at the skeleton’s expense, they continued on, eventually finding the end of the tunnel. After killing a giant spider that had made its nest near the lever, they pulled it and retraced their steps back to the crossroad. With the bridge lowered, they could keep going. 

“This leads out to the courtyard. Just head for the door.” Serana said.

“Really? I was going to turn around and go back the way we came.” Jotunn said, a little too seriously. 

Serana sighed and took the lead, leaving Jotunn to hurry after her. After a short waltz through the remaining tunnels, they reached a wooden door. Serana pushed open the door and walked out, with Jotunn following close behind. 

They stepped out into a small courtyard. Gnarled trees and bushes lined the walls, with vines clinging to them desperately. On the far side of the courtyard was a large garden overrun by weeds that sat beside a small murky pond. To their left and right were two uplifted decks, each with destroyed doorways that probably led back to the main parts of the castle. 

The thing that stood out was a large round contraption in the middle of the courtyard. In the middle of it was a big slab of polished stone. On the outside of the big circle were many smaller circles. A few of the smaller circles had some kind of blue colored glass sitting on them. Jotunn had never seen anything like it before, not even in Dwemer ruins. 

Serana frowned, looking around. “What happened to this place? Everything’s been torn down...the whole place looks...well, dead. It’s like we’re the first to step foot here in centuries,” She went over to one of the doorways reduced to rubble. “This used to lead into the main hall. Looks like my father had it sealed up.” 

“Good. That means we won’t get anyone stumbling in on us here.” Jotunn said.

Serana nodded but she looked to be miles away as she walked towards the garden. “I used to walk through here after evening meals. It was beautiful once. And this was my mother’s garden. It...do you know how beautiful something can be when it’s tended by a master for hundreds of years?”

Jotunn blinked, taking his mask off and hooking it to his belt. Somehow he doubted he’d need it anytime soon. Besides, it was dark out and it wasn’t like he’d be recognized by anyone around. “No, I can’t say that I do.”

Serana knelt by a wilted nightshade. “She would have hated to see it like this. Wait.” She said, standing up and walking over to the large circle. “Something is wrong with the moondial. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew.”

“A moondial? Huh. I’ve heard of sundials but a moondial is definitely new.” Jotunn said, scratching his chin. 

Serana put her hands on her hips as she studied the moondial. “I didn’t even know the crests could be removed. Maybe my mother is trying to tell us something?”

Jotunn blinked. “What’s so special about this moondial thing?”

“Well, as far as I’m aware it’s the only one in existence. The previous owners of the castle had a sundial in the courtyard and obviously that didn’t appeal to my mother. She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements. You can see the plates that show the phases of the moons, Masser and Secunda.”

Jotunn snorted. “And does it work?”

Serana chuckled. “That’s the thing...what’s the point of a moondial? I always wondered why my mother didn’t just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it. I don’t know. I guess it’s like having a piece of art, if you’re into that sort of thing. As for how it works, well, your guess is as good as mine. I’ve never even seen it actually work.”

Jotunn hummed thoughtfully. “That alone tells me there’s some secret about it. You say it’s missing crests? Then let’s have a search about and see if we can’t find them. Maybe if we find them and put them back it’ll do something.”

They each took one half of the courtyard and after several minutes passed, they had found the three missing crests. One was at the bottom of the pond, one was lying amidst the rubble in front of a doorway, and the third was found partly covered by weeds. 

Jotunn placed the first one back in its place and as he did so, Serana put the second one back. 

“So what happens if nothing happens and the moondial is just broken regardless of whether or not it has all it’s crests? What then?” She asked. 

Jotunn looked over at her. “I was thinking of going into the castle and asking for help with finding your mother. More minds and all that,” When she just stared blankly at him, he grinned. “Or we go to the College of Winterhold, see if anyone there might know have an idea as to where this blasted blood scroll is. But something tells me this moondial is the key to finding mama vampire.”

Serana snorted. “I’ve heard of worse ideas. Maybe the dial will give us a hint about where she is, if nothing else.”

As Jotunn placed the last crest back, the half moon crest, there was a satisfying click. And as they watched, the stone around the dial lowered into a makeshift staircase encircling the dial. 

Jotunn clapped his hands together in triumph. “Ha! I  _ knew  _ it’d do something!”

Serana grunted and leaned over, looking down the staircase at the door that was revealed at the bottom. “Very clever, mother. Very clever.”

Jotunn coughed. “Do I not get any praise for having the idea that the dial had a secret?”

Serana smirked and stepped up to him, giving him a pat on the head. “Good mutt.”

Jotunn frowned as she started walking down the stairs. “That was as weird as it was rude.”

Serana chuckled. “You said you wanted praise. I gave you praise. Now come on. I’ve never been down here before, but I bet this door will lead into the tower ruins.” The tower she was talking about was clearly the destroyed tower that one of the ruined hallways of the courtyard led to.

Jotunn hurried after her, walking through the door and coming face to face with a dead end. Or it would have been if there hadn’t been a sneaky pull chain that lowered a wall. The two stepped into what looked to have been an old kitchen of some sorts. At least before dust and cobwebs took it over. 

Serana pursed her lips. “I’ve never even seen this part of the castle before. I don’t know what might be around.”

Jotunn inspected a cooking pot that was so old, the dust coating it had hardened. “So you don’t know this place?”

The vampire shook her head. “No. I had always assumed the other tower was completely destroyed inside. Nothing ever gave me an inclination it wasn’t.. Clearly, my mother kept this a big secret, even from me. She must have been up to something she thought was dangerous. Otherwise she would have told me... _ something  _ about this place at least.”

Jotunn nodded and put the pot down. “Then we should be on high alert down here. I doubt we’re the only things walking around down here.”

With that, they both unsheathed their weapons and carefully began walking through the corridors. Soon, they stepped out into a large dining room with a long table standing in the middle of the room. Old pots and cups were spread out on it and there looked to have once been platters of food. While the food had long since rotted away, the platters remained. 

Whoever had had the feast was still there. The skeletal bodies of the feasters still remained, hunched over the table in their chairs, forever enjoying their last meal. Only they weren’t as dusty as everything else in the hall. 

Jotunn met Serana’s eye and she nodded in understanding. They weren’t alone. But they soon would be. 

Jotunn crept towards the nearest skeleton, a tall figure with a cowl draped over it’s skull and shoulders. In his experience, the skeletons with hoods often were mages. It was best to ‘kill’ them first as they could become a bother. 

“Hello.” He said cheerfully before lopping the thing’s head off and causing the rest of the bones to clatter to the ground. The moment the bones hit the floor, the other skeletons all rose from their seats, reaching for their weapons. Jotunn leapt up onto the table as it strained under his weight and kicked one skeleton in the head, kicking its skull off. Another swiped at his legs with a rusty sword but Jotunn jumped up and landed on the sword. With a quick right thrust, he again cut the skull off. 

Turning to his left, he jumped off the table and fell onto another skeleton, scattering it’s bones. As he landed, he blocked a strike from a second bag of bones and countered with a low swipe at its legs. With its legs gone, it tried to rise but Jotunn kicked the bones away. With the mage gone, it was like beating up an already dying man. It wasn’t fun, but it was also simple. Like it was too easy. 

_ What happened to the days when skeletons were actually tough?  _ Jotunn thought as he mowed them down with next to no effort. 

On the other end of the table, Serana was shooting ice spikes through the chests of the skeletons left and right while stabbing any ones that got too close. While Jotunn fought like a caged animal, rushing around attacking anything that moved, Serana fought gracefully, moving from one enemy to the other like a dancer. 

In less than two minutes, all of the skeletons were destroyed. Jotunn grinned, looking around at all the bones that now littered the floor. “Well, that was fun.”

Serana huffed and led the way through the next hallway. The next couple hallways had gargoyles and more undead skeletons to deal with, but they made short work of them. After what seemed like an hour, they eventually made it into another large dining area. With more gargoyles that weren’t covered in dust. Sighing, Jotunn took a deep breath and shouted, “TID KLO UL!” Then with time slowed down to a standstill, he walked around the table to all the gargoyles and killed them before they could erupt from their stasis. As time resumed normal speed, Serana blinked and stared at him where he stood, surrounded by four now dead gargoyles. She shook her head. 

“I swear, I’m never going to get used to you doing your shouting. Which one was that?”

Jotunn smiled at her as they continued on out of the room and into another dead end. “Slow Time, is what it’s called in the common tongue. It does exactly what it sounds like it does,” He looked over at the end of the hallway where a pile of logs lay under a candlestick that hung to the stone wall. “How much are you willing to bet that if I pull on that candlestick, the wall will slide open?”

Serana chuckled. “We’ve been over this. I’m a vampire that was locked up in a cave. I don’t have any coins on me. Besides, it isn’t like I’m combing through all the dead people we’ve come across for loose coins like you do.”

Jotunn shrugged. Then he stepped up to the candlestick and tried pulling it down. It didn’t budge. When Serana laughed, he frowned and twisted the candlestick to the side which opened the secret door. Grinning, he glanced over his shoulder at the vampire smugly. 

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head. It’s big enough already.”

The two walked through the secret door and out into a big open room. Tables full of ingredients and herbs lined the walls. It was quite the impressive alchemical laboratory. There was a railing overlooking the majority of the room. And in the middle of the room was a circle indent in the floor with a number of unlit candles around it. Jotunn hadn’t the faintest idea as to what it was or what it’s purpose was. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. If circles could look creepy, this one did. 

“Look at this place!” Serana exclaimed happily as they stepped into the room. “This has to be it. I knew she was deep in necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know. But I had no idea she had a setup like this,” She said, looking over at tables in awe. Jotunn didn’t blame her. The place looked like it had every ingredient imaginable. “Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting these components.”

“What’s with the circle thing?” Jotunn asked. 

Serana hummed. “I’m not sure about this circle, but it’s obviously...something. Let’s look around. There’s got to be something here that tells us where she’s gone.”

“And what exactly are we looking for?” 

Serana started going through the ingredients on the table on the far side of the room. “My mother was meticulous about her research. If we can find her notes, there might be some hints in there.”

Jotunn nodded and moved on, heading up towards the railing. “I have to say, I’m a little jealous of your mother right now. This is quite the laboratory.”

Serana snorted from her place at the table. “I didn’t take you as a man into alchemy.”

“Eh, I’ve been known to brew the occasional potion.”  _ Or poison. _

“Sure. Though you aren’t wrong. She had an alchemy setup in her drawing room, but nothing that even comes close to what’s here.”

Jotunn found a small library in the corner of the room and began sifting through the many books that made it up. “Know what she researched?”

“Looking at the equipment and materials, I’d say she was trying to advance her necromancy.” Serana said. 

Jotunn chuckled. “To what end? He asked as his eyes fell onto a thin red journal in the middle of all the thicker books. He opened it up and began skimming through the pages as Serana replied.

“I don’t know. Certainly not longevity. Kind of a waste of time for a vampire.”

Jotunn grinned as he closed the journal and returned to her. “I’ll tell you what else is kind of a waste of time: continuing to look for your mother’s notes.” He said, handing Serana the journal. 

Her face lit up. “You found them? Let me see…”

Jotunn sniffed. “Yeah, I found the notes. What’s this ‘Soul Cairn’ she mentions?”

Serana frowned as she read. “I only know what she told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside of them don’t just vanish when they’re used...they end up in the Soul Cairn.”

Jotunn frowned. “Why did she care about where the souls end up in the first place?”

“The Soup Cairn is home to very powerful beings. Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return. My mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to Soul Cairn itself. If she made it there, we’ll find her.”

Jotunn sighed tiredly. “Nothing is ever simple, huh? First I’m traveling through time to learn the words of a man made Shout, then I’m traveling to Solsthiem to fight a god, and now you tell me I have to help a vampire find her mother in the home of all the poor souls that get trapped in soul gems. Nothing is ever simple but at least nothing is ever dull. This Soul Cairn should be fun.”

Serana raised an eye at him. “You have an odd definition of fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will obviously be some Soul Cairn adventures so until then! Stay safe! :)


	22. Souls Anyone?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana find a way to travel to the Soul Cairn where they eventually find someone from Serana’s past. It’s Valerica. Clearly. Jotunn also feels something he hasn’t felt in a long time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay So this is mostly dialogue with a really short fight near the end. Hope you like it!

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

“Okay, so that circle in the center of the room is definitely some kind of portal. And if I’m reading her notes right, there’s a formula here that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn.” Serana said excitedly.

Jotunn rubbed the back of his head. “What do we need? Virgin’s tears and the eye of a newt mixed in with some dragon blood?”

Serana snickered much to her dislike. “No, sorry to burst your childlike fascination of witches, but we don’t need any of that. We need a handful of soul gem shards, some finely-ground bone meal, a good bit of purified void salts...oh...damn it.”

Jotunn raised an eye. “What’s wrong now?”

Serana placed the journal down on the table behind her, growling. “We’re also going to need a sample of her blood. Which...if we could get that, we wouldn’t even be trying to do this in the first place.”

Jotunn blinked at her, smiling. “You share her blood you nutty old bat.”

Serana groaned, disappointed in not immediately thinking of that herself. “Hmm. Not bad. We’d better hope that’s good enough. Mistakes with these kinds of portals can be...gruesome. Anyway, let’s go find us some ingredients.”

It took them all of five minutes to find what they needed and gather it all up in a bowl sitting above the portal on the ledge. Jotunn fingered three hilt of his swords. “So before we do this, a question for you. What can you tell me about the Soul Cairn? I haven’t heard of it before today.”

Serana nodded in understanding. It wasn’t common knowledge and she only knew of it because of her mother. “The Soul Cairn is a tiny sliver of Oblivion. It’s ruled by unseen beings known as the Ideal Masters.”

“Which are?”

Serana shrugged. “Nobody really knows. As far as I’ve heard, no one’s seen them and returned to Tamriel to tell about it.”

Jotunn frowned. “Then how are you so sure they even exist? Maybe they’re ghost tales.”

The vampiress shook her head. “I’ve read stories. Stories about fools that managed to...communicate with them. They give the Ideal Masters souls and in return, they get powers to summon the undead. It’s all very business-like.”

Jotunn snickered. “These stories don’t end well, I’m guessing? Otherwise you wouldn’t call the people in them fools.”

“No. They don’t. Most of the stories end with the Ideal Masters duping the necromancers, who end up dead or wishing they were dead. Now, are you ready to go? I’m not entirely sure what this thing is going to do when I add my blood.”

Jotunn coughed, fiddling with the hilt of one of his swords. “Can I ask you something first?”

“Of course. What is it?” Serana said. 

“What will you do if we find your mother?”

Serana blinked. She hadn’t been expecting him to ask her that. Much less care enough to think of asking. “I’ve been asking myself the same thing since we came back to the castle. She was so sure of what we did to my father, I couldn’t help but go along with it. I never thought of the cost. Granted, if we hadn’t done what we did, the world would be a bigger wreck that it already is.”

Jotunn nodded, smiling warmly at her. “It sounds to me like she did everything for your sake.”

Serana smiled back. “Probably. I guess even a vampire mother is still a mother. She worried about me. About all of us. She wanted to get me as far away from my father as possible before he really went over the edge.”

Jotunn gave her a grin. “Well we won’t know until we find her. Why are you looking at me like that?”

She nodded, still smiling.. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect anyone to care how I felt about her. Thank you.”

Jotunn chuckled. “You say sorry too much. You have to learn to accept that there’s people out there that care about how you feel. A vampire might be dead but I’m pretty sure you all still have emotions just like the rest of us.”

Serana groaned and rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but smile at his kindness. Even to her, it was clear the annoying mutt cared about her. In his own annoying way. “Alright. Let’s just get this portal open.”

Jotunn watched as she stepped up to the bowl of ingredients and bit her hand, letting a few drops of her blood fall into the bowl. It took a few moments but then the circle in the middle of the room began lowering as the stone rose, creating steps down to some kind of purple energy swirling around in the space previously occupied by the stones. 

“By the blood of my ancestors!” Serana exclaimed as the portal opened. “She actually did it...created a portal to the Soul Cairn. Incredible. Well, after you, oh mighty Dragonborn.” She said teasingly, gesturing Jotunn to go first. 

Jotunn snickered as he passed her and started walking down the newly made steps. Before he got all the way down, however, he cried out in pain as tendrils of the purple magic began weaving around him, sapping his strength. He jumped back, suddenly feeling drained. The moment he jumped back, Serana was at his side steadying him as he stumbled. “Are you alright? That looked painful.”

“No shit it was painful,” Jotunn growled. “What’s up with the portal?”

Serana winced as Jotunn stepped away, regaining his composure. “Now that I think about it...I should have expected this. Sorry.”

Jotunn raised an eye at her. “What did I just say about saying sorry?”

She frowned. “Sorry—shit. Whatever. I think I know why the portal isn’t letting you through.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense then.”

“It’s hard to describe. The Soul Cairn is...well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It’s trying to take your life essence as payment.”

Jotunn clenched his fists angrily. “So there’s no way in, then. That’s just pissing great.”

Serana shifted, unsure of how to continue. “There might be a way, but I don’t think you’re going to like it. Vampires aren’t considered among the living. I could probably go through there without a problem.”

Jotunn held his hand up to stop her, taking another step back. “Hold on. Are you saying I need to become a vampire to get through this blasted portal?”

Serana forced out a chuckle. “Not your first choice, I’d guess.”

Jotunn snorted. First choice? It isn’t even my fourth choice. There has to be another way.”

Serana rubbed her chin. “Maybe. We could just ‘pay the toll’ another way. It wants a soul. So we give it a soul. Yours.”

Jotunn stared at her, trying to wrap his head around the idea. “Wouldn’t that kill me? Wait, don’t tell me this has been your master plan all along to kill me? You sly bat, you!”

Serana sighed. “No you ass. My mother taught me a trick or two. I could partially soul trap you, and offer the gem to the Ideal Masters. It might be enough to satisfy them. It would make you a bit weaker when we travel through the Soul Cairn, but we might be able to fix that once we’re inside. Maybe.”

Jotunn groaned. He suddenly wished he had slept in that morning. “So those are my only two options: become a vampire like you forever or have a chunk of my soul trapped to be given to unknown beings and be weaker in a foreign place. Is there a third option?”

The vampire shrugged. “Give up and go take a nap? Look, I’m sorry. I wish I knew a better way, something that would be easier for you. Just know that...whatever path you choose, I won’t think any less of you. Some things just have to be done. I know that better than anyone.”

Jotunn nodded. Being soul trapped beats being a vampire any day. “Soul trap me then. Being weaker in the Soul Cairn sounds like a challenge and I haven’t been properly challenged in years. So, uh, do whatever it is you have to do. I’m ready.”

“I know this is difficult for you. I hope you trust me.” Serana said. “I’d never do anything that could hurt you. Unless you were being a jerk.” 

Jotunn nodded, smiling as he reached out and touched her shoulder gently. “I trust you completely, you old bat.”

Serana was taken aback. He trusted her  _ that  _ much? She didn’t even fully trust herself and yet, he trusted her enough to soul trap him? 

She smiled, pretty sure that if she could blush, she’d definitely be doing so at the moment.  _ Every time I think I understand him, he turns around and surprises me. And the surprises are always pleasant. Hmm. _

“Thank you. Let’s not waste any more time then. I promise to make this as painless as possible. Hold still.” She said as she raised her hands and casted a spell. As she lowered her hand, Jotunn felt his whole body sting momentarily, as if a hundred tiny thorns had just pricked him simultaneously. He growled in pain but the pain only lasted a second before fading. 

“There.” Serana said. 

Jotunn blinked.  _ That was it? All of that anticipation and fanfare for  _ that  _ quick spell?  _

“Is it just me or was that very anticlimactic? I’m almost disappointed your spell wasn’t flashier.” Jotunn said teasingly. 

Serana grunted in disdain. “I don’t know why I worried about you at all.”

“You were worried about me? Aww, you  _ do  _ care!” Jotunn said with a chuckle. Then he yelped in surprise when Serana shoved him down the steps and into the portal. 

With a bright purple flash, he blinked and was still falling down the steps, only now he was on the other side of it. Tumbling down the steps, he soon reached the bottom and landed with a grunt. Groaning, he rose to his feet and looked back up at the portal. The steps that had until a few seconds ago led down to it, now led down away from it and to the dusty ground. Above his head was a light purple sky, the color reminding him of a soul gem. The sky and the clouds swirling around closely resembled that of Sovngarde’s, except far less calming. 

He looked around him and a shiver went down his spine. If a place could look dead, this place did. Crumbling ruins and decaying trees stretched out over an endless field of dust. What looked like a path led away from the portal and towards some walls and towers off in the distance. Mounds of bones from all walks of life littered the ground. One whiff of the ‘air’ told him that he was standing on mountains of the dead. If he hadn’t figured out how to block the worst of the scents, he surely would have gagged.

From where he stood, Jotunn could see countless spirits roaming about mindlessly, forever trapped and forced to spend eternity lost in this never ending sea of despair. Not even Alduin deserved such a grim fate. 

“Ugh. The smell here...let’s try to handle this quickly.” 

Jotunn spun around to see Serana walking down the steps, pinching her nose. “Also, sorry for pushing you.”

Jotunn rubbed his shoulder. “You know, normally you would have had to push harder.”

“That’s right, it was easier because you’re soul trapped. How are you feeling by the way?”

Jotunn shrugged. “Weaker than what I’m used to. Should I be feeling skinner too?”

Serana frowned. “I don’t know; I’ve never soul trapped someone before. I feel bad you had to do it. If I knew another way for you to come here, I would have done it without hesitation.”

Jotunn stepped closer to her and gave her a pat on the back. “Hey, don’t ever blame yourself for this. It was my choice to be soul trapped. Besides, it’s more like a minor annoyance than anything else. Like not stretching before a sparring session.”

Serana nodded. She still looked concerned but didn’t appear to be upset anymore. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. Just like not stretching before training. Or like having a rock in my shoe. Now  _ that  _ is annoying.”

She stared at him before snorting with laughter. “You are such a weird mutt.” She’d never admit it, but he was growing on her. She wasn’t quite sure why.

He smiled at her. “You forgot your add smelly.”

Serana smiled back and unconsciously moved closer to him. As she did so, Jotunn caught a whiff of something he hadn’t smelled on her before. Normally she just smelled like death, but as she moved closer, he caught a hint of something sweet. He didn’t know why he was only smelling it now. But before he could place what the scent was, she cleared her throat and backed up as if noticing how close they had been. 

“So uh, have any ideas of where to start looking for my mother now that we’re here?” Serana said. 

Jotunn grunted. “Follow the path and see what happens?” He suggested, nodding towards the dusty path. 

Serana pursed her lips before giving a snicker. “It’s as good a plan as any. Let’s go.”

Jotunn waved her off. “Hey, you’re the expert on this place. You lead and I’ll follow.”

Serana winked at him as she started walking. “Good dog.”

Jotunn groaned, cringing. “Please don’t say that.”

“Alright, that place looks important.” Jotunn said as they passed through quite possibly the only opening in the giant wall that stretched on around them. They had followed the path, killing some skeleton things along the way, until they’d reached an opening in the wall. Which as far as they knew, went on for miles on either side of the path. It was definitely easy to get lost in this place, that was for sure. But past the wall, there were two large towers off in the distance that expelled beams of light up into the ‘sky’. In between the towers was a building that connected the two. Whatever the place was, it was clearly the largest building that they could see and so, had to be of some relevance and worth checking out at the very least. Plus, it appeared that the path led to the towers anyway. 

So they started the long trek towards the towers. 

They didn’t even get a quarter of the way before being attacked by more skeletons. Jotunn swore, it was like every hundred feet there were a bunch of skeletons for them to fight. It got annoying a lot faster than he thought it would. 

He blocked a sword thrust from one skeleton and then lopped its head off. Then he kicked the skull into another pile of bones which scattered them. “This is too eas—shit!” Jotunn growled in pain, leaping back as a sword from a third skeleton grazed his left shoulder. The cut wasn’t deep enough to cause any major damage but it still hurt. Honestly, it shocked him more than it hurt him. He hadn’t been cut much less hurt during a fight in a very long time. 

Twisting on his heel, lunged forward and impaled the skeleton that had cut him before wrenching his sword out of it. The bones clattered to the dusty ground as Serana ‘killed’ the last of the attacking skeletons. 

The vampire looked over at him, concern plastered across her face. “You alright?”

Jotunn winced as he moved his arm so that he could cast a simple healing sell on his shoulder. “I’m fine. Bastard nicked me is all. I thought I had moved enough to dodge the blade, but I guess being weakened in this place includes my battle awareness.”

Serana raised an eyebrow at him. He waved her concern away. “I’m alright, really. My pride is more wounded than my shoulder at this point.”

She shrugged and after he’d finished healing the wound, they continued on. 

After what felt like hours of walking, they finally reached the two towers and the building between them. The building was much wider than it had looked earlier. It looked as wide as a small town. What it was used for, Jotunn had no idea.

The path they had been following stopped at the bottom of some steps that led up to some kind of magic barrier guarding a huge door. Jotunn only had to take one glance at the barrier to know that no matter what kind of magic he used on it, they weren’t going to be able to penetrate it. The barrier felt like it was bound to the Soul Cairn itself.

He cursed. “Great. Now what do we do? Retrace our steps?” He said backing up to go back down the steps. He stopped when he heard a voice. 

“Who’s there?” A woman said from a corner beside the big door. 

Serana‘a eyes widened. “Wait a second. That sounds like—.”

“Maker...It can’t be! Serana?!” A woman said as she stepped up to the magical barrier. She wore similar robes as Serana’s and had a small steel dagger at her side. Her black hair was done up in two buns on either side of her head. Her skin was as pale as Serana’s skin was and her yellow eyes stared at them in surprise. She was definitely a vampire. 

“Is it really you? I can’t believe it!” Serana said, overjoyed. “How do we get inside? We need to talk.”

Valerica frowned. “Serana? What are you doing here? Where’s your father?”

“He doesn’t know we’re here. I don’t have time to explain.”

Valerica clenched here fists. “I must have failed. Harkon’s found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn’t he?”

Serana shook her head. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. We’re here to stop him...to make everything right.”

Valerica blinked, turning her cold gaze over to Jotunn. Wait a moment...you’ve brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?” She snapped.

Serana faltered and it was clear to Jotunn that her mother was as good a parent as Harkon was. “No, you don’t…” Serana trailed off, unsure of herself. 

Jotunn took a step closer to the barrier, meeting Valerica’s gaze confidently. He grinned. “Lovely weather we’re having today, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I’m like Serana, Jotunn is growing on me haha. Anyway, next chapter will continue the Soul Cairn adventure. Until next time! And stay safe everyone :)


	23. Get Your Scroll Here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana traverse the Soul Cairn in search of the Keepers and inevitably fight Durnehviir. Jotunn makes a promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here’s a nice long one! Thanks for the wait!

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Jotunn chuckled as Serana gasped, shocked by his nonchalant attitude. In her family, first impressions were everything and Jotunn had just made a fool of himself in front of her mother. And if she knew Jotunn, he had done so on purpose.

The only sign that Valerica was annoyed was that her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly. She’d clearly not found his little comment as funny as he did.

Jotunn smiled at the older vampire. His smile never reached his eyes. “You must be dear old mother Valerica. I’m Jotunn. I’m working with the Dawnguard and Serana to take down your insane husband. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but we both know I’d be lying.”

Valerica’s eyes narrowed. “The Dawnguard? So how has it come to pass that a vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter? Why are you really here?”

“To help Serana. Also to save the world, but mainly to help Serana.” Jotunn replied without missing a beat.

Valerica snorted. “It pains me to think you’d travel with Serana under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down. You must think me some kind of fool.”

Jotunn met her gaze. “This is no ruse you paranoid bat. I want to keep her safe. I care about her.”

Serana lowered her head to hide her smile. Her action was not unnoticed by Jotunn and Valerica who hissed angrily.

“Coming from one who murders vampires as a trade, I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble. Much less that you’re telling the truth. Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. Though I don’t expect a wolf blood like you would understand that. I doubt she has explained it to you, vampire hunter.”

Jotunn fidgeted with his fingers. Her superior tone was beginning to bug him. “That’s why we’re here for the Elder Scroll. You do have one here, right?”

Valerica’s mouth curled up, revealing her fangs. “You think I’d have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for the protection of her Elder Scroll alone? The scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself.” Valerica said as she started pacing back and forth. 

Serana looked up at her mother, confused. “What do you mean?” She asked.

“When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls,” Valerica explained. “The scroll this fool found you with speaks of Auriel and his arcane bow. The second scroll declares that ‘The Blood of Coldharbor’s Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon.’”

Jotunn scratched his chin. “That’s all well and good, but where does Serana fit into that?”

“Like me, Serana was once human. We were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal. Tradition dictates the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Few survive the ordeal. Those that do emerge as a pure blooded vampire. We call such confluences the Daughters of Coldharbor.”

Jotunn frowned, piecing together the prophecy as she explained. “The Tyranny of the Sun requires Serana’s blood? Shit, that’s dark.”

Valerica nodded exasperatedly. “Now you’re beginning to see why I wanted to protect Serana, and why I’ve kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible.”

Jotunn put his hand up. “Hold on, are you saying Harkon means to kill Serana?” Serana gasped, taking a step back as her hand flew up to her mouth. 

Once again, Valerica nodded in confirmation. “If Harkon obtained Auriel’s Bow and Serana’s blood was used to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she’d be dying for the good of all vampires.”

Jotunn clenched his fists. “I would never allow that to happen.”

“And how exactly do you plan on stopping him? What would you do? Tell him no?” Scoffed Valerica. 

“I’d do whatever it took to stop him. Duh.” 

The older vampire peered at him, almost surprised by the steel in his voice. 

“Serana? Any thoughts on all this? This has got to be a lot to go through.” Jotunn said.

Valerica answered for her, something Jotunn wasn’t pleased about. “You café nothing for Serana or our plight. Whether or not you’ve become a vampire to survive the Soul Cairn, you’re still a vampire hunter at heart. I saw the hatred in your eyes when you first realized I was a vampire; the hatred you tried so hard to mask with that ridiculous comment about the weather. You aren’t here for any noble purpose. You’re here because we’re abominations in your mind. Evil creatures that need to be destroyed.”

Jotunn crosses his arms. “Okay, now you’re just hurting my feelings. Serana believes in me, why won’t you?”

Valerica scowled, turning back to her daughter. “Serana?” She demanded. “This stranger. This idiotic mongrel...this mutt aligns himself with those that would hunt you down and slay you like an animal, yet I should entrust you to him? Is that it?”

Serana, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until then, snarled angrily. She, much like Jotunn, had had enough of Valerica’s tone. And she definitely hadn’t liked her treatment of Jotunn. “This ‘stranger’ has done more for me in the brief time I’ve known him than you’ve done in centuries! When we first met, he could have killed me easily but he didn’t. Instead, he said hello and decided to help me. Would a tried and true vampire hunter do that?” She didn’t give her mother any time to respond before continuing. “He’s helped me all this time. He trusts me and I trust him. Jotunn is a good man. And don’t you dare call him a mutt. Only I can call him a mutt.”

Jotunn snickered. “Lucky me.” He muttered, earning him a quick elbow jab from Serana to his side. 

Valerica hissed. “How dare you! I gave up everything I cared about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father! And here you are, defending a dog!”

Jotunn coughed. “Werewolf, actually.” He said, though neither of the vampires paid attention to his comment.

Serana stomped her foot. “Yes, he’s a lunatic...he’s changed. But he’s still my father. Why can’t you understand how that makes me feel?”

Valerica’s tone softened. “Oh, Serana. If you’d only open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you’ll be in terrible danger.”

Serana snorted. “So to protect me you decided to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I’m still just a pawn to you, too. I want us to be a family again. But I don’t know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don’t deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn’t for us. But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that, we need the Elder Scroll.”

Valerica flinched as if Serana had just struck her. She lowered her head in shame. “I’m sorry, Serana. I didn’t know...I didn’t see. I’ve allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want to Elder Scroll, it’s yours.” 

Serana nodded. “Thank you.”

Valerica turned back to Jotunn. “Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me. But if Serana trusts you, then I’ll assist you both in any way that I can.”

Jotunn clapped his hands. “Great! So do you have the Elder Scroll with you in there or do we have to go on another goose chase?”

“Yes, I’ve kept it safely secured here ever since I was imprisoned. Fortunately, you’re in a position to breach the barrier that surrounds these ruins.”

“What do we have to do?” Asked Serana.

“You need to locate the tallest of the rocky spires in the area. At their bases, the barrier’s energy is being drawn from unfortunate souls that have been exiled here. Destroy the Keepers that are tending them, and it should bring the barrier down.”

Jotunn rolled his shoulders in anticipation. “Excellent. We’ll be back shortly then.”

Valerica raised a hand. “One more word of warning. There’s a dragon that calls itself Durnehviir roaming the Cairn. Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have charged him with overseeing the Keepers, and will undoubtedly intervene if you’re perceived as a threat.”

Jotunn chuckled as he turned around towards the steps. “Oh, I’m definitely a threat. Especially to this dragon. Be back shortly.”

Serana nodded to Valerica, forcing herself to smile at her before following Jotunn away from the barrier. As it wasn’t difficult to see which spires were taller than the others, they didn’t have to waste any time figuring out which direction to go. When they were a decent distance away from the barrier, Jotunn looked over his shoulder at Serana. “How are you feeling after talking to dear old mother?”

Serana let out a pent up breath. “Relieved. I think. All those things had been building for a while. You have no idea how long I wanted to say that to her.”

“Sounds like you aren’t a big fan of either of your parents. Why did you agree to her plan in the first place?”

“Look, I loved my father, but when he found that prophecy...that became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother...we just became clutter. I was close with my mother, and she just kept feeding me her opinions of him. Eventually, I started believing them.”

Jotunn chuckled. “Yeah, she doesn’t seem too fond of the guy. I’ve heard of lover quarrels but their relationship is just crap.”

Serana nodded. “The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk with power, and pulling in different directions. Then he found that damn prophecy and that was it.”

Jotunn pursed his lips. “And you were caught in the middle. Forced to pick a side.”

“I was,” Serana said. She snickered sadly. “Honestly, it took me until now to figure out that my mother was really just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power. She was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was just so...toxic. Maybe I could have seen this coming. We could all be better off now.”

Jotunn stopped walking, turning around to face her. “Everyone is a little blind when it comes to family. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

She sighed. “I know that in my head. But I just can’t help feeling bad about...the way things are. Sorry. I know you’re just trying to help and all, but these feelings won’t go away simply because you say so.”

Jotunn raised an eye playfully. “Won’t they? I’m the Dragonborn. Who’s to say I don’t know a Shout or two that could do that?”

Serana’s brow furrowed as she now looked at him curiously. “Do you?”

Jotunn winked at her before moving on and saying nothing.

Serana groaned. “Okay, now I’m even more curious.”

“Maybe that’s what my Shout did to you.” Jotunn said casually.

The vampire grunted as she followed him. “You enjoy messing with me, don’t you?”

Jotun laughed. “Just a little bit, yes.”

The two kept walking, heading towards one of three taller rocky spires. This time, however, they didn’t keep to the paths. There wasn’t much point in doing so, especially since they could see all three spires and the two towers easily from practically anywhere in the area. And seeing as a dragon could swoop down and attack at any moment, they moved quickly. 

They arrived at the first spire, weapons already out in preparation for the coming fight. Standing up from a stone chair at the base of the spire was a tall creature. It had to be at least nine or ten feet tall and wore heavy dragonbone plate. Instead of a physical head, all it had was a cloud of smoke atop its neck. Two glowing blue eyes stared at them, unblinking. In its hands was a massive battleaxe. As it stood, several mistmen formed around it. 

Jotunn grunted. “And there goes my sleep tonight.” 

Serana snorted with laughter as what had to be a Keeper and it’s minions moved towards them. “It’s not like you get much sleep anyway.”

Jotunn said nothing as he ran forward, dissipating two mistmen on his way to the big Keeper. The Keeper swung the massive battleaxe at Jotunn as easily as if it was swinging a stick. Jotunn ducked under the axe as it swung, narrowly missing his head. Closing in, he stabbed the Keeper in its chest, only it’s armor was too tough for his blade to penetrate. His blade glanced off the armor and he was forced to leap back before the Keeper could gain the upper hand. 

The Keeper lunged forward with an overhead strike that Jotunn sidestepped. With an opening, he struck the Keeper’s arm in an attempt to knock the battleaxe out of its hand. An attempt that didn’t work as its arm didn’t even move from his hit. Jotunn would have tried to sweep its legs out from under it, but the Keeper’s sheer bulk ruled out tactics such as that. Changing it up a bit, Jotunn moved back out of reach of the battleaxe and dropped his left sword. The moment his sword left his hand, he casted a spell and blue flames began to form around his hand, curling around his fingers. Raising his hand, the blue flames erupted from his hand, shooting out at the Keeper. The flames engulfed the Keeper, staggering and definitely hurting it. The spell was one of the strongest destruction spells Jotunn knew, one with flames hot enough to even burn a dragon’s hide. Which was why he had cast it. If the Keeper’s armor was truly dragonbone then incinerate would be able to damage it. 

The flames began to eat away at the Keeper’s armor and it stumbled when the flames came into contact with the smoke on its neck. Gripping the battleaxe, it took one more step towards Jotunn before collapsing with two ice spikes sticking out of it’s smoky head. The smoke appeared to be a particularly weak spot for it as moments later, the Keeper dissolved into murky ash. 

Jotunn grunted and retrieved his sword. Just like the Keeper, the few mistmen that attacked them were dead, ‘killed’ by Serana. 

“Two more Keepers to go.” Serana said. 

Jotunn sniffed. “You know, I had that guy.”

Serana nodded. A little too quickly. “Of course. I was just giving you a tiny helping hand. Your spell softened him up for mine.”

“Oh, shut up.” Growled Jotunn as they continued on. 

After finding and killing the next two Keepers, they began the long hike back to the two towers where Valerica was patiently waiting for them. Even from a distance, they could see that the magical barrier that had trapped her inside, was gone. 

As they approached, Valerica stepped up to Serana and nervously reached over and squeezed her daughter’s hand. It was the first time in centuries. 

Jotunn stayed back a few feet in order to give the two their space. After hesitating a moment, Serana hugged her mother. Jotunn did his best to block out the quiet words they gave each other. Luckily that wasn’t hard as he could easily hear the sobs of lost souls all around them. 

He couldn’t help but wonder if his mother would embrace him after all the time apart. Valerica may be a vampire, but she was still a better mother than his own. At least Valerica hadn’t abandoned Serana shortly after giving birth to her. 

Valerica broke off the hug and turned to Jotunn, nodding in approval. “You managed to destroy all three Keeers. Very impressive.”

Jotunn grinned at her. “You could have given us more of a challenge. The hike back here was tougher than those headless Keepers.”

Serana snorted. “Then why did I have to save your life twice while we were fighting them?”

Jotunn flinched and elbowed her. “And like I’ve told you, I had it all under control.”

Serana chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Right. ‘Under control.’”

“I was about to finish it off before you killed it, I swear.” Jotunn said, giving her a playful smirk.

Serana laughed.

Valerica watched the back and forth curiously. Her daughter was bantering with this werewolf hybrid as if she’d known him her whole life. Their teasing reminded her of the early days of her marriage to Harkon. And Serana had actually laughed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had heard her daughter laugh like that. She found it curious that the mutt was the reason. 

Valerica cleared her throat. “If you’ll both follow me. I’ll take you to the Elder Scroll,” She said, disrupting their playful banter. “Keep watch for Durnehviir. With the prison’s barrier down, he’s almost certain to investigate.” Valerica said before spinning on her heel and leading them through the big door behind her. 

Serana looked after her mother and then looked over at Jotunn who stuck his tongue out at her before going through the doors. She sighed and followed.

They stepped out into a huge open courtyard. A light fog hugged the ground and swirled around their feet. More piles of bones were scattered around. On the far side of the yard, the two towers stood on opposite sides of a balcony built atop the walls surrounding the yard. To their right, was a small room where Jotunn guessed Valerica kept the scroll. 

He took a step towards the room and heard the sound of wings as he did so. He cursed. Just once, he wished things would go without a hitch. 

Jotunn turned to face the sound, already unsheathing his swords. Seeing his actions, Serana too, unsheathed her dagger and prepared for a fight. Valerica frowned, confused until she heard what Jotunn had already heard. 

“Wait. I hear something!” The old vampire said just as a dragon swooped out from the clouds above their heads and flew down to land on the balcony. “It’s Durnehviir! Defend yourselves!” Valerica shouted, her hands cracking with electricity. 

“So good of you to announce that like we can’t figure it out ourselves.” Muttered Jotunn as he stepped in front of the two vampires. 

Durnehviir eyed them from his perch. Even from a distance, Jotunn could see that something was very wrong with the dragon. His wings were already in tatters, with a number of holes and cuts in them. It was a miracle he could fly at all with the ruined wings. Yellowish drool was constantly dripping down his jaws. His hide was worse. What few scales he had were in bad shape and looked like they could easily be pried off. Rotten leathery skin could be seen in all the places scales should have been. With a jolt, Jotunn realized that the dragon’s whole body was decayed to the point where tiny bugs flew around it.

After a sniff, Jotunn recoiled. The dragon may as well have been dead. It  _ should  _ have been dead judging by the scent. But it wasn’t. Not really. 

Durnehviir roared, but it wasn’t a challenge. It was a cry of pain. 

A host of skeletons, summoned by the dragon’s painful roar, crawled out of the piles of bones that littered the courtyard and surged forward. 

Jotunn hummed as he ran at the nearest skeleton.  _ So...an undead dragon that can raise the dead. That’s a first.  _

He crashed into the skeleton, breaking it apart as he spun around to block an overhead strike from another skeleton. Twisting his sword, he wrenched the other blade from its owner’s bony hand before giving it a whack over the head. 

Turning, he saw the skeleton that was lunging at him, explode from a lightning bolt. He expected the bolt to be from Serana, but when he looked in the direction it came from, he marveled to see it had come from Valerica. Valerica met his eyes and snorted before moving on to more skeletons. She and Serana were fighting back to back amidst a horde of the dead. Jotunn might have even been worried about them if they were not ancient vampires. 

His attention was drawn away from them as Durnehviir leapt off his perch and into the air. The dragon began circling the courtyard much like a bird will circle its prey. Jotunn grinned. It was time to bring the big guy down to even ground. 

Taking a deep breath, he let loose with Dragonrend. “JOOR ZAH FRUL!” He shouted and Durnehviir stumbled in the air, falling down to the ground awkwardly. The dragon crashed about thirty feet away from Jotunn who was already running over to face him. Durnehviir recovered faster than Jotunn thought he would and had to dodge a snap of the dragon’s jaws as he neared. 

Jotunn frowned as he got in close to Durnehviir’s neck. If he thought the dragon had smelled bad far away, it absolutely reeked up close. And it had considerably more flies buzzing around it than he had first seen. Jotunn might have swatted them away too, we’re here not in the middle of a fight. 

He slashed his swords across Durnehviir’s neck three times before Durnehviir swung his head to the side, nearly hitting Jotunn’s head as he jumped back. The dragon twisted and tried to claw at him, but Jotunn narrowly dodged. Cursing, Jotunn moved back. The fight would have been over by now if not for the location: his reflexes and instincts were slower in the Soul Cairn. Thought Jotunn didn’t mind the fact that much. He was enjoying the extra difficulty. Especially since most fights nowadays were a little too easy for him.

Jotunn faced Durnehviir as the gross dragon turned towards him, watching him. Jotunn moved to the right in an attempt to reach the dragon’s blind side, only Durnehviir moved at the same time, effectively blocking him. Durnehviir raised his head, opening his jaw as frost began to form in his mouth. Before he could release the frost, an ice spike suddenly struck the side of his head. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Jotunn could see Serana running towards them while Valerica finished off the remaining skeletons. Before he could react, Durnehviir swung his head around and breathed out bitter cold frost, aimed right at Serana. Serana leapt out of the way but only just. Jotunn cursed as he noticed that in the moment, she had jumped closer to Durnehviir. Who now was close enough to lunge at her, claws extended. Serana was still on the ground, rising from her leap and didn’t see the threat. 

“WULD NAH!” 

In an instant, Jotunn was at Serana’s side. Using the momentum of the Shout, he pushed her away just as Durnehviir reached their spot. Jotunn couldn’t get out of the way in time and Durnehviir was able to slash his left side with two of his claws. The force of the attack was enough to knock Jotunn back several feet. Unfortunately, he landed on his newly wounded side. 

Jotunn howled in pain as he hit the ground. It was like getting hit with two large swords and then being thrown from a roof. Groaning, he staggered to his feet just as Durnehviir snapped his jaws at him. With one blade having been lost during his little forced flight, Jotunn barely sidestepped the dragon’s gaping jaws before hacking at the jaws with his remaining sword. He slammed his sword into Durnehviir’s mouth and then with one last surge of strength, he jumped up and swung as hard as he could into the dragon’s forehead. His blade stuck in the deteriorating forehead as Durnehviir’s body suddenly went limp. His eyes glazed over and he slumped to the ground, as dead as an undead dragon can be. 

Jotunn bowed slightly out of respect before staggering. He was suddenly very tired. Shaking his head, he fell to one knee. He raised his right hand to his left side and quickly began to cast some healing spells. He had to stop the bleeding before he passed out. Otherwise, he’d be dead seeing as no one else around knew any healing spells. 

“Jotunn!” Hollered Serana as she ran over to him. She slid onto her knees beside him, looking him over worriedly. The skeletons all in crumbles, Valerica joined them, albeit with less urgency than Serana. Valerica watched as Durnehviir dissolved into thin air, taking notice that his soul wasn’t devoured by Jotunn like she thought it would be.

Jotunn was too busy healing the two massive cuts across his side to really pay attention to what was going on with the dead dragon. 

“You big lumphead! I saw Durnehviir coming. I would have moved out of the way in time. I had that!” Serana yelled at him. Despite the anger in her voice, Jotunn could tell that she was freaking out and worried about him on the inside. 

He coughed and gave her a bloody smile as the cuts slowly healed over. He’d have two new scars to show when they were done. 

“Like I had that Keeper?” Jotunn said with a forced chuckle. He winced. It hurt to laugh. 

Serana opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but then closed it abruptly. 

As Jotunn finished up with the magic, he shakily got to his feet. “I think I’ll make it. Just uh, don’t go telling people that the Dragonborn almost got his ass handed to him. That’d be a tad embarrassing.”

Serana sniffed as she rose, looking at him pointedly. “Don’t scare me like that again.”

Jotunn gave a forced grin. “I solemnly swear to do my best to not get slashed by a dragon again.”

Valerica grunted. “I can’t believe it. You beat Durnehviir. Forgive my astonishment, but I never thought I’d witness the death of that dragon.”

Jotunn snickered, twisting around carefully to test how the wound healed. “What makes you say that?” He asked.

Valerica snorted. “Volumes written on Durnehviir allégé that he can’t be slain by normal means. It seems they were mistaken. Unless...You didn’t absorb his soul. And souls in the Soul Cairn are not easily stolen. It’s possible that your killing blow merely displaced Durnehviir’s physical form while he reconstitutes himself.”

“And how long will that take?” Serana asked, glancing up at the sky. 

Valerica shrugged. “Minutes? Hours? Years? I can’t even begin to guess. I suggest we don’t wait around to find out. Now, let’s get you the Elder Scroll and you can be on your way.”

Jotunn nodded in agreement. He’d had quite enough of the Soul Cairn. Apocrypha and all it’s gross charms was turning out to be better than this dreary painful place. 

They followed her to the small room to the right. Valerica walked up to a long thin crate and began fidgeting with the lock. Once she got it open, Jotunn and Serana stepped up to see the Elder Scroll within. 

Jotunn grabbed the scroll and hooked it to his back like Serana had done so before. He snickered. “Huh. Well that was easy.”

Serana sighed as her mother turned to her. “You two should leave before Durnehviir is rematerialized.”

Serana frowned. “You’re staying here?”

Valerica nodded. “I have no choice. If I return to Tamriel, that increases Harkon’s likelihood of bringing the Tyranny of the Sun to fruition. You must do what I could not. You must stop your father. I wish it didn’t have to be you, but I can see no other way. Go in peace, Serana. I know you have the strength to see it done.”

Serana breathes deeply and hugged her mother again before spinning around. She started to walk back to the entrance and before Jotunn could follow, Valerica grabbed his wrist. 

“You must keep her safe at all costs. Remember that Harkon is not to be trusted. No matter what he promises, he’ll deceive you in order to get what he wants. And promise me you’ll keep my daughter safe. She’s the only thing of value I have left.”

“You have my word,” Jotunn said with a nod. “I don’t know how much that means to you, but there you have it.”

Valerica smiled at him, looking as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “The word of my daughter’s rescuer? That means more to me than you’ll ever know, Dragonborn.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Dialogue heavy it may be haha. Let me know what you think so far if you feel so inclined :) And as always, until next time! Stay safe!


	24. Motherly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotun and Serana leave the Soul Cairn and have a chat with Durnehviir. Valerica leaves Serana with some unwanted advice on feelings

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

“All things considered, that could have gone a lot worse.” Jotunn said cheerfully to Serana as they made their way back to the entrance of the courtyard. 

Serana huffed. “We both almost died. How is that a good thing?”

Jotunn gave her a nudge. “Because we’re both still alive and we have the scroll. So I count that as a win.”

Serana rolled her eyes. “Just so you know, we  _ are _ going to talk about that reckless move you pulled back there.” She said as he pushed open the door leading outside. They stepped out and both froze as the door closed behind them. Durnehviir was perched atop some of the ruins in front of them. 

Jotunn reached for his swords, ready to kill the dragon again if need be, but stopped when Durnehviir spoke.

“Stay your weapons. I would speak with you, Qahnaarin.” Even the dragon’s voice sounded ancient. 

Jotunn touched Serana’s shoulder as he stepped forward. “Normally I’m better at this stuff but I could have sworn I killed you. How are you not fully dead right now?”

Durnehviir sniffed, big globs of drool leaking down his jaws. “Cursed, not dead. Doomed to exist in this form for eternity. Trapped between laas and dinak, between life and death.”

Jotunn narrowed his eyes. “Sucks for you. Why are we speaking?”

“I believe in civility among seasoned warriors, and I find your ear worthy of my words,” Durnehviir said, staring down at them curiously. “My claws have rended the flesh of innumerable foes, but I have never once been felled on the field of battle. Until you. I therefore honor-name you ‘Qahnaarin,’ or Vanquisher in your tongue.”

Jotunn nodded, rubbing his side where he was clawed. “I found you equally worthy. It’s been a long time since any dovah has wounded me.”

Durnehviir tilted his head slightly in a nod. “Your words do me great honor. My desire to speak with you was born from the result of our battle, Quahnaarin. I merely wish to respectfully ask a favor of you.”

Jotunn scratched his chin as Serana watched on. “What kind of favor are we talking about here?”

Durnehviir growled. “For countless years I’ve roamed the Soul Cairn, in unintended service to the Ideal Masters. Before this, I roamed the skies above Tamriel. I desire to return there.”

Jotunn snorted, crossing his arms. “And what’s stopping you from dropping for a quick flight or two?”

“I fear that my time here has taken its toll upon me. I share a bond with this dreaded place. If I ventured far from the Soul Cairn, my strength would begin to wane until I was no more.”

Jotunn nodded. It made sense. He imagined the same could be said for any of the other souls trapped in the Soul Cairn. He doubted anyone, even dead souls, wanted to risk completely wasting away to nothing. And trapped they may be, a trapped soul’s existence was still an existence. 

“So how do you want me to help? Call your name from the mortal world?”

Durnehviir lowered his head. “Yes. I will place my name with you and grant you the right to call my name from Tamriel. Do me this simple honor and I will fight at your side as your Grah-Zeymahzin, your Ally, and teach you my Thu’Um.”

Jotunn smiled at the old dragon. “Just call your name in Tamriel? That’s it? Sounds simple enough. And here I was thinking you’d want me to go fight an old foe of yours or find your remains or something.”

Durnehviir made a sort of coughing noise deep in his throat, the closest to laughing that a dragon could get. “Trivial in your mind, perhaps. For me, it would mean a great deal. I don’t require an answer, Qahnaarin. Simply speak my name to the heavens when you feel the time is right. Whatever you decide, I thank you for this conversation. It has been a very long time since I have spoken to anyone. Fight well, honored Qahnaarin.” Durnehviir said before flapping his wings and flying off. As he faded from view, Serana grunted. 

“So are you going to do it? Summon him to Tamriel?” She asked Jotunn as they started retracing their steps back to the portal. 

Jotunn rubbed his side. It was sore as if the wound hadn’t finished healing. “You mean call his name? Of course I am.”

Serana frowned. “But why? He almost killed us.”

Jotunn chuckled. “So what? We killed him. Besides, it’s the right thing to do. He’s an honorable warrior deserving of our respect and if doing something as simple as calling him to the mortal world will bring him some measure of peace, then I’m going to do it.”

“And how does that even work? You just say his name and he’ll come flying?”

Jotunn smiled. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

“How so?” 

“I’m going to Shout his name and he’ll come flying.”

Serana groaned. “Oh. Smartass.”

Jotunn laughed, giving the vampire a little nudge. “You  _ did  _ ask. Anyway, I don’t envy the time you spent with that Elder Scroll on your back. I’d forgotten how surprisingly heavy the damn things are.”

Serana shrugged as they neared the portal. “It helps to have been asleep for most of the time stuck with it. Stupid thing better be worth it. I mean, I’m glad we found the Scroll, but I...I wish she could come with us.”

Jotunn nodded. He knew she was talking about her mother deciding to stay behind. “Something tells me she does too. Volunteering to stay in this place longer isn’t something I’d have expected her to do, but she clearly cares enough about preventing this prophecy to stay regardless.”

“I know, I know. It’s just...I finally find her after all this time and not only does she argue with me about your competency and insult your integrity, she chooses to stay in this prison rather than face my father again.”

Jotunn glanced at her. “Speaking of my integrity and all that, thank you. For standing up for me earlier, I mean. Did you really mean everything you told your mother?”

Without a moment's hesitation, Serana nodded. “Absolutely. I may not know everything there is to know about you, but I know you’re a good man. I'm glad to have met you.”

“Likewise. You’re a better person than most alive people I’ve met. You um...you deserve better than your parents.” Jotunn said as he walked up the steps and through the portal. 

Serana was about to follow when a cloud of bats flew down in front of her. She blinked as Valerica materialized from her bat form, with her arms crossed and a slightly disappointed look plastered across her face. 

“Seriously? Him?” 

Serana matched her mother’s tone. “Him, what? And were you spying on us?”

“You know what. Of all the silly mortals you could choose from to develop feelings for, you choose him?”

Serana frowned. “I don’t have feelings for Jotunn. He’s just my—.”

Valerica laughed. “Your what? Your ‘friend?’ Come now, Serana. You are my daughter. Do you really think I wouldn’t be able to tell when you are sweet on someone?” Serana said nothing. She just swallowed and looked away. “At least he’s a powerful mortal. Though it is unfortunate you chose a Dragonborn; their kind do not live easy and happy lives. And more often than not, they do not have good deaths.”

“Your point, mother?” Snarled Serana. 

Valerica looked at her pointedly. “Be careful with who you give your love to, Serana. That is all I wished to say. Good luck, daughter. Give your father my worst regards.” 

Serana waved her off as she walked up the steps and through the portal, and back to Tamriel. 

Jotunn was waiting for her at the start of the stairs. He grinned at her as she closed the portal behind her. “There you are! I was about to go back and check on you. What took you so long?”

Serana held her head up high. “My mother had something...personal she wished to talk to me about. Away from your prying ears.”

Jotunn nodded. “It’s alright. I already know what you two talked about anyway.”

Serana practically jumped, spinning around and staring at him embarrassedly. “You  _ what _ ?! You heard our conversation?! You can’t have! Please tell me you didn’t hear it. Gods, this is embarrassing! It isn’t true what she said, I swear!”

Jotunn held his hands up, taking a step back. “Woah, relax. I wasn’t serious. I mean, my hearing is damn good, but I can’t hear across realms. But now I kind of wish I could. What were you and your mother talking about? It must have been something really interesting to cause a reaction like that.”

Serana did her best to recover her composure quickly. After she’d slowed down her breathing, she said, “Nothing that concerns you, you nosy mutt. Now we should really get back to the Dawnguard and see if Dexion can read this Scroll for us.” Having said her piece, she marched off. 

Jotunn’s brow furrowed as he watched her go.  _ Well Jotunn, it seems you can add vampire women to the growing list of things that confuse you.  _ He thought as he followed Serana out of the castle. 

They left the same way they got in, through the secret tunnels and old dock. Walking around the castle, they reached their moored boat and after casting off, towed back to the mainland. It was a relatively quiet time. Serana still couldn’t shake her thoughts from her conversation with Valerica and Jotunn didn’t quite know what to say anyway. He could tell something was on her mind but he wasn’t sure if he should ask or not, out of fear of receiving another panicked reply. 

After several hours of traveling, they eventually decided to take a break. The sun was still up when they took the break, it’s rays shining down on them harshly. And with no indication that the sun’s heat would relent any time soon, they found a decent shady spot under a few trees and made camp for the rest of the day. They were in no big rush now that they’d found Valerica and retrieved the Elder Scroll. Besides, it wasn’t like Dexion was going anywhere. 

A tiny breeze drifted through the trees around them, swaying the branches and leaves. It would have been pleasant had Jotunn not been struggling. 

Jotunn groaned as he fumbled with his Nightingale cuirass. His side had been giving him trouble the last few hours. To the point where he was sure something was wrong with the wound he’d received from Durnehviir. It was possible it wasn’t healing correctly and if that was the case, he had to check on it. Only it was a little difficult to take his armor off when he couldn’t move the muscles in his side without hurting them. He couldn’t move his arm behind his back to get the strap holding the cuirass together without a shooting pain in his side. He cursed under his breath as he strained to reach the strap. 

“Do you need some help?” Serana asked as she walked up to him having just returned from a meal. She’d bled a fox dry and drops of it’s blood were still trickling down the sides of her mouth. She was smiling at him, stifling her laughter. But her offer was genuine and so Jotunn nodded. 

She stepped closer and grabbed the strap, slowly pulling it loose. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without your armor on. Do you even wear normal clothes?” Serana asked, unfastening the strap and beginning to slide the cuirass off. Luckily, it was super light. Almost like she was sliding a thin blanket off him.

“When I’m in one of my houses I do. When I’m on the road, I don’t bother bringing normal clothes. I prefer to just always have my armor on. It’s easier and safer than having to rush to throw it on before a fight anyway. Ow! Careful.” Jotunn growled when Serana brushed the armor against his side. 

“Sorry.” 

When she got the cuirass off, Jotunn raised his arms tensfully. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get the shirt off either.”

Serana swallowed and reached over, grabbing hold of the hem of his shirt. If she had known she’d had to take his shirt off as well, she wouldn’t have offered to help. She was glad she didn’t really have a heartbeat; otherwise, Jotunn would have heard it beating like crazy. 

Jotunn winced as she took his shirt off. Instead of focusing on their situation, he focused on the pain in his side which was good for one thing at least. No way was he letting on that his own heartbeat was elevating not only because of the pain, but because of how close Serana was. As she gently lifted his shirt up and over his head, he could feel her light fingers on the skin of his back. They were soft yet cold. The cold made sense being that she was technically dead, but he was happily surprised to know that her skin was soft to the touch. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting a vampire’s fingers would feel like. The only vampire fingers he’d felt were those of a vampire clawing at him. Which was an enormously unpleasant feeling compared to Serana’s gentleness. He smiled to himself.  _ For someone that could crush my throat as easy as crushing a grape, she sure is gentle.  _

When his shirt was completely off, he heard Serana’s sharp intake of breath as she laid eyes upon his side. “I take it, that means it’s bad?”

Serana squirmed. “No, it’s just really bruised around the wounds.” It actually wasn’t that bad. What had made her gasp was all the other wounds that were scattered over his torso. All his older wounds. A number of tiny scars were spread out over his torso and he had three more large scars that looked to have also been from a dragon or some other large animal. Some made by swords and other weapons were scattered across his body. 

But the worst one wasn’t an ordinary scar. Nor was it the size of the others. It was a scar formed by fire that spread across nearly his entire back. Many of the other scars even disappeared underneath the burn. 

Serana lightly brushed her finger against the burn. It was warm, as if flames were still crawling across it. “How did…” 

Jotunn flinched when she touched the burn. He quickly turned around to face her, beginning to cast another healing spell on the wounds he’d received from Durnehviir. He pursed his lips, vaguely aware he was sitting there half naked. 

“A friendly reminder of Alduin.” 

Serana frowned. “Alduin gave you that burn?”

Jotunn nodded. Normally he didn’t tell people the story behind the burn on his back, but he felt Serana deserved an explanation. “Back in the early days of my Dragonbornness, I fought Alduin at the peak of the Throat of the World. This was just after I learned the Shout Dragonrend, which can force dragons to land, in a sense,” He grunted. “Not a lot of room to maneuver. Especially during a close quarter fight with a dragon on a mountain peak. I was in the middle of a stupid fancy pirouette when he blew a big torrent of fire at me. At the last second, I managed to jump out of the way before the flames could engulf me, but not before my back was burnt to a crisp. Somehow I was able to fend Alduin off and after he retreated, I passed out from the pain. Woke up with the Greybeards. It took them weeks to heal me and even then, they couldn’t completely heal the burn and so the scar remains. It’s pretty grisly, I know.”

Serana’s mouth twitched. “It’s not too bad.”

Jotunn blinked. “You aren’t grossed out by it?”

Serana shrugged. “I’m a vampire, remember? I’ve seen grosser things during breakfast.”

Jotunn stared at her for a moment before cracking a smile and letting out a hearty laugh. “Know what, Serana? You’re alright for a vampire.”

Serana raised an eye. “Just alright?”

Jotunn grinned. “Better than alright. Amazing, actually.”

Serana chuckled nervously, moving a strand of loose hair out of her face. She locked eyes with him. She'd gotten lost in his eyes many times before and it would be so easy to do so again now. He stared at her intensely, his eyes full of warmth. 

They were sitting so close. It would be so easy to close the tiny gap between them and kiss him. She mentally slapped herself as she realized she was unconsciously leaning forward.

She cleared her throat and forced herself to move away from him before she succumbed to desire. “I’m going on a walk; I’m still a little parched. Will you be good getting your shirt and armor back on?” She said, anxious to be anywhere but by Jotunn’s shirtless side.

Jotunn nodded, coughing and returning to his healing. “Uh, yeah, I think I can handle that. Enjoy your snack. I’ll be here.”

“Okay. I’ll um, see you in a bit.” Serana said before briskly walking away. 

When she was a good distance away, she smacked her forehead. She couldn’t believe how close she was to kissing Jotunn back there. Part of her was embarrassed that she’d even thought about it. And at the same time, she was disappointed that she hadn’t kissed him.  _ Damn you mother. You were right; I have feelings for Jotunn. Ugh. I have feelings for Jotunn? What’s wrong with me?  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! We’re finally getting to some feelings and stuff haha. Next chapter will hopefully be a tad bit longer than this one. Until next time! And stay safe! :)


	25. Hold Back, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana learn some unfortunate news, Jotunn spars, and Harkon puts a plan in motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter is somewhat on the shorter side but still good (I think haha)

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

The Dawnguard had upped their defenses while they were out looking for Valerica. More barricades had been made and the wooden stake fences had been made taller. What looked to be magically lit torches lined the main path to the front gates and walkways were put up on the outside of the fort walls, with clear sight lines for down below. And loads of new soldiers had been recruited, many of whom were out in the yard training with Durak and Celann when Jotunn and Serana arrived. 

The trip back from Castle Volkihar had been a fast if a little tense one. Jotunn wasn’t sure why, but Serana had done her best to keep a certain distance away from him the entire time. Clearly, something was wrong with her, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Although, at times it felt like she was embarrassed. Almost like how a person might act around someone they pined for. But that was preposterous. Serana couldn’t think of him like that. 

_ Could she? _

“Dragon—I mean, Jotunn! You and Serana have returned!” Durak shouted as they neared the training ground. Celann ignored them and snapped at a recruit to parry.

Jotunn grinned at the old Orc, raising a hand in greeting. “It’s alright, Durak. She knows I’m the Dragonborn.”

“He didn’t have to tell me. I figured it out myself.” Serana said quickly. 

Durak grinned, which was about as pretty as expected. An Orc’s underbite did nothing to improve their smiles. “Oh yeah? And how’d you figure it out?”

Jotunn chuckled. “I Shouted and killed a dragon in front of her.”

“But I suspected he was Dragonborn beforehand.” Serana added as Durak laughed heartily. 

“Sure you did vampire. So did you two find what you were looking for?” Durak asked.

Jotunn nodded to his back where the Scroll was. “That we did. Had to fight through hordes of undead and give up a portion of my soul to some soul collectors, but we got the next Elder Scroll. Now all we have to do is let Dexion read it and we’re set.”

Durak frowned. “About that. I don’t think Dexion is going to be able to help this time around.”

Serana blinked. “Why’s that? Did he die of old age or something?”

Durak grunted, rubbing his shoulder. “Or something. He’s not dead, but...I guess you’ll find out. Come find me after you’re done talking to him, Jotunn. I’ll fill you in on what’s new around here.”

Jotunn shook the old Orc’s hand before he and Serana made their way up to the fort’s doors. 

Stepping inside, they looked around for Dexion. After asking Agmaer if he’d seen him, they found him sitting on a bench outside of the sleeping quarters. Upon seeing him, Jotunn frowned. Dexion had a long piece of cloth over his eyes and a carved stick was at his side.

Dexion craned his head towards them as they walked over to him. 

“Hey, Dexion. We’ve brought the Elder Scroll.” Jotunn said.

Dexion sighed as Serana frowned. “I’m sorry, my friend. I can no longer be of use in this matter. I’m now no more use to you than a false lead.”

Serana put her hand on her hip. “Why? What’s happened?”

“It’s my fault. In my haste to read the first scroll, I neglected the careful preparation required. I thought I’d be able to allay the after effects, but I was wrong. Now I am paying for my rash mistake.”

Jotunn felt his heart sink as he took in Dexion’s words. Then it dawned on him. “That covering on your eyes. Don’t tell me you’re—.”

“Blind?” Dexion finished for him. “I’m afraid so.”

Jotunn kicked the ground. “Shit. There’s got to be something we can do to fix your eyesight! Maybe magic or maybe…”

Dexion shook his head. “No. It will have to run its course, and there’s always the chance I may never recover. My days of seeing are over; I have accepted this.”

Jotunn cursed as Serana sat down beside the old man and squeezed his hand comfortingly. “I’m so sorry, Dexion. If I had stopped to think about it, I would have asked you what the side effects were before you read the scroll. I should have considered the loss of your eyesight.”

Dexion smiled kindly. “Do not blame yourself, Serana. You were eager to learn of how to stop your father. And if helping you stop your father from plunging the world into darkness, then I’ll gladly live the rest of my days in the dark if it means the world won’t have to. Sight is a small thing to sacrifice when it comes to doing my part to save the world.”

Jotunn growled, punching the wall angrily. “So that’s it then. We’re finished. How can we find Auriel’s Bow if we have no means of reading the damned scroll? It isn’t like we have the time to find another of your order.”

Dexion cleared his throat. “Actually, there is another way. The question is: how much are you willing to risk to find Auriel’s Bow?”

Jotunn narrowed his eyes. “Depends on what we have to do.”

“I can’t guarantee you’d be free from harm. Becoming blind could be the least of your worries.”

Jotunn sighed. “Don’t worry about that. Just tell me before I grow a beard—Ow!” He yelped as Serana kicked him in the shin. He swore, instead of telling him he was being rude, it was like every woman he knew enjoyed kicking and punching him when he was being rude. 

Dexion continued. “Scattered across Tamriel are secluded locations known only as Ancestor Glades. There’s one in Skyrim, in the Pine Forest. Performing the Ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the glade should provide the answers you seek.”

Jotunn grunted. “Explain this ‘ritual.’ If it involves another blood sacrifice so help me…”

Dexion chuckled. “Nothing So base as that. It involves carefully removing the bark from a Canticle Tree, which will in turn attract Ancestor Moths to you. Once enough of the moths are following, they’ll provide you with the second sight needed to decipher the scrolls.”

Jotunn snickered and raised his eye in disbelief. “How’s a moth related to the Elder Scrolls? What, are they big fans of reading mind melting scraps of paper?”

Dexion smiled. “Well, as I am sure you’ve figured out by now, it’s no mere coincidence that we’re named ‘Moth Priests.’ The voice of the Ancestor Moth has always been an integral part of reading the Elder Scrolls.”

“Moths barely make a sound, let alone speak.” Serana said, intrigued by what Dexion was saying.

“Oh, the moths don’t literally read the Scrolls...but they have a connection to ancient magic that allows the Moth Priest to decipher them. If you listen closely when you find the glade, you should be able to hear their song: a soft harmonious trilling. It’s through this ancestral chorus that the moths tap into a form of primal augur and become a conduit for reading the Scrolls. It took me years to accurately read a Scroll, even with the Ancestor Moths, however.”

Jotunn clenched his fists. “Then how do I even stand a chance?”

Dexion nodded. “You’ve come this far, and you’ve found several Scrolls. Whether you believe it or not, the scrolls have a mind of their own. If they did not want you to find them, they would not allow it. Because of this, I strongly believe you were meant to hear the ancestral chorus. Still. There’s only one way to find out. The Glade is south of Falkreath up in the mountains as I recall. Be safe. I wish you both good luck.”

Jotunn rolled his eyes and walked away. Serana joined him after helping Dexion rise and make his way to his bed. 

“Poor man. I hope he can recover his eyesight one day.” Serana said as she stepped up to him as he leaned against the wall, inspecting his map. 

“I can send him up to the College of Winterhold. Maybe the mages there will find a way to help him see again. But right now we have more pressing matters. Like finding this Ancestor Glade. Now, my guess is that it’s somewhere around here,” Jotunn said, pointing to a spot on the map. “I have a friend living in the area above Falkreath. With any luck, they might be able to help narrow our search. But before we leave again, I’d like to relax for a couple days and resupply.”

Serana blinked. “Great. So just hang out with a bunch of vampire hunters until then. Got it.”

Jotunn looked up from the map at her. “Hey, no one here is going to try and hurt you. 

“Only because they know you’d kill them if they did try. And who’s going to want to fight the Dragonborn? Face it Jotunn. No one here likes me. The only reason why no one has attacked me yet is because of you.” Serana said sourly.

Jotunn frowned. “A couple of things. You’re right: I would kill anyone that tried to harm you. And also, two people here like you at least.”

Serana snickered. “Really? Who?”

Jotunn stared at her. “Well, for starters, I do. And there’s Durak too.”

Serana raised an eye, putting her hand on her hip. “Durak likes me? He doesn’t like me; he’s just polite to me to try and get on my good side.”

Jotunn laughed. “Yeah, because he’s not dumb. He knows that if he’s on your good side, he’s less likely to be your lunch.”

Serana slapped his arm playfully, grinning at him. “Careful, or else I’ll end up having  _ you  _ for my lunch.”

Jotunn gave her a smirk. “Oh we both know you like me too much to have me for lunch. Maybe a light snack instead.”

Serana smiled, fidgeting with the pebble in her pocket. “Um, yeah. Well I’m going to go have Sorine help me sharpen my dagger. You, uh, have a good chat with Durak.” She said before walking off. 

Jotunn watched after her.  _ Hmm. There she goes again, suddenly getting embarrassed and distant. Wonder what’s going on in that head of hers? _

He shrugged. If something really was wrong, then he was positive she’d have told him by now. So whatever was on her mind clearly wasn’t that important. 

He stuffed the map back into his travel bag and exited the castle in search of Durak. He found him where he had left him: in what was now the training yard. Durak waved him over as he got closer. 

“Jotunn, you mind sparring with me for a bit? Maybe the recruits will learn a thing or two.” The Orc said as he neared. 

Jotunn grinned, unsheathing one of his swords. “Sure, I don’t see why not. And who knows, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two as well.”

Durak frowned as he raised his axe. “I may not be the Dragonborn or anything fancy, but I’ve been fighting since before you were born, welp. So don’t get too cocky.”

Jotunn chuckled, stepping up to the Orc with his sword raised. “Don’t hold back, Dragonborn.” Durak said. Jotunn smirked in response.

Celann and the recruits formed a half circle around them, all eager to see the practice bout. Celann raised his hand in the air and then dropped it as a sign to begin. 

The moment Celann’s hand dropped, Jotunn lunged forward, his sword crossing the gap and catching the curve of Durak’s axe. Pulling down and back, he wrenched the axe out of Durak’s grip and pulled the Orc towards him. As Durak lost his footing, Jotunn stepped forward and behind him, smacking Durak with the flat of his sword and causing him to fall face down in the dirt. The entire action took maybe less than three seconds. 

Celann whistled. “Wow Durak, what an impressive face plant!” He said with a laugh.

Jotunn snickered and extended a hand to help Durak up. “Should I hold back a little? You have to plant your feet more when someone pulls that move on you. Otherwise, a sore backside is the least that will happen.”

Durak growled but he was nodding. Although his pride was hurt by the insanely fast one sided fight, he wasn’t one to dismiss advice. Especially if said advice was coming from the Dragonborn. 

As the recruits dispersed to continue training, Durak picked his axe off the ground, turning to Jotunn. “Mind teaching me how to defend against that move?”

Jotunn nodded. “‘Course. As I recall, that was the same move that fumbled you up at Whiterun too.”

Durak growled, raising his axe. “Just be quiet and spar.”

The blood in the chalice swirled around and around as the dimming embers in the fireplace crumbled and slowly died out, casting the room in shadow. Outside the room, hushed voices whispered to each other. Paw steps on the tiled floor could be heard as the deathounds patrolled the castle. And the soft whimpering of human cattle echoed throughout the halls. It was a calming sound to Harkon, one that often helped him think. 

Watching the last of the embers die, he raised the chalice to his lips and took a sip, savoring the taste of the blood as it slid down his throat. Countless years spent in this realm and not once had he gotten bored of the taste. There was something pure about blood that always called to him. Something about it that kept him yearning to taste it. Be it hunger, or the knowledge that blood was power. If only he could harness the secret power of blood, then he’d become the most feared being in the world. Though, in a way, fulfilling the prophecy would accomplish the same thing.

His grip tightened around the chalice. The prophecy. Fulfilling the Tyranny of the Sun had been his endgame, the thing he’d been working towards for entire lifetimes. And now that goal was within his grasp. 

He growled. If only his underlings had found Serana before the Dragonborn had then his dream would most likely already been realized. He would have read the Scroll she’d stolen from him and learned exactly what must be done. But no, Jotunn has found her first. One human was all it took to sway Serana and cause her to turn on him. And of all the mortals that could have found her, it just had to be the Last Dragonborn. Perhaps the only mortal that could have sowed the seeds of doubt in his daughter. Of course, it didn’t help that his vile wife had spent decades prior to her disappearance planting the seeds in the first place. 

Harkon set the chalice down before he could break it in his anger. That Jotunn. Killing Orthjolf was one thing, in fact Harkon was glad the arrogant Nord was dead; he had lost his value anyway. But the fact that Jotunn was actively helping Serana find a way to stop him was another matter altogether. And according to his spies, they were making very quick progress, already finding another of the Elder Scrolls needed to fully decipher the prophecy. He knew it had something to do with Auriel’s Bow, but exactly what, he had no clue. That alone enraged him.

Harkon closed his hands, standing up from his seat in front of the fireplace. 

_ Damn you Dragonborn. That blasted thief in Bruma was meant to keep you distracted and out of Skyrim far longer than he did. If he’d only done his job, you would still be in Bruma and you wouldn’t be causing me so much trouble now. Everything was going according to plan before that fool thief failed and let you return. If only… _

“What is it Garan?” Harkon said as Garan walked into the room, disturbing his thoughts. 

Garan bowed. “My Lord Harkon. I’ve just received word from a little birdy that Serana and the Dragonborn have all three Elder Scrolls. Their next goal is to apparently reach a place called an Ancestor Glade. Finding it will help them read the last of the three Scrolls. Or so that’s what my little birdy said.”

Harkon hummed. “I want eyes and ears scouring Skyrim for this Glade. Once we know the location, send some of our number to scout it out. And if they’re able to, kill the Dragonborn. He is the driving force behind our opposition and needs to be killed before he can do any more damage. Is my contingency plan in effect?”

Garan nodded, giving a toothy grin. “Yes, sire. All is in place. Should the Dragonborn somehow foil our plans or kill us, he will quickly follow us into the Void.”

Harkon smiled. “Excellent. I do enjoy having the last laugh. Even if my contingency plan is never needed, it is better to be safe. It is a small comfort knowing that whether he wins or loses, he will still lose in the end. 

Garan nodded, slowly backing out of the room. 

_ Mark my words dreaded Jotunn. Should I die in the coming future, you will soon join my fate. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I’m curious to know what everyone’s thoughts are so far! Next chapter will either continue the main plot or be a sort of ‘fun filler’ chapter. Haven’t decided haha  
> Until next time! And stay safe! :)


	26. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn teases Serana about their first meeting and in doing so, accidentally forces a talk. Serana learns something new about her Dragonborn buddy and something finally happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty this chapter is a blend of filler and plot and is very dialogue heavy.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Jotunn sneezed when a gust of wind blew over him, bringing a lot of pollen with it. Which of course had to go straight up his nose. It was to be expected, however, as they were making their way through the Rift in early First Seed so all the plants were blooming. Before he became a werewolf, he used to love this time of year. All the pretty colors and fragrances were wonderful. Now though, all those fragrances made his nose sniffly and all those pretty colors gave him a headache. 

He rolled his eyes as Serana cooed at him. “Aww! That was adorable! Does the great and powerful Dragonborn have allergies?”

Jotunn groaned, immediately regretting that he couldn’t stop the sneeze in time. “No, I do not. My nose is just more sensitive to all the pollen in the air this time of year.”

Serana laughed. “That’s what allergies are.”

Jotunn ignored her and continued walking. He wasn’t about to give her more fodder for her teasing. Besides, he wanted to get in a few more miles before nightfall. At the pace they were going, he wouldn’t be surprised if they made it to Falkreath in less than two weeks. That is if they didn’t come across any distractions along the way. 

He mentally sighed. With his luck, they probably would. 

Even with their current pace, the trip would be a lengthy one as they’d eventually have to cross a few mountains. Something that could be taxing even to them. Which was another reason why he enjoyed Serana’s company: she made trips like this one a little easier to get through and less boring. Having her around reminded him of how much he’d missed having a traveling companion. Before he’d returned to Skyrim, he’d been on his own for so long. Granted for much of the time, he had Karliah with him, but Karliah was a very quiet person, in more ways than one. Karliah only spoke when she needed to and she was much too serious for Jotunn’s liking. On the contrary, Serana loved to chat, even if it was about something trivial and she was fun. She could even out-tease him at times. Which was something Jotunn loved about her. He’d only met a few people that could keep up with all his teasing, much less give it right back to him the same way Serana could. 

He rather enjoyed their friendship. Which he had begun to notice was changing. They were becoming closer than just friends. It had started happening slowly at first but it was quickly becoming something more. Exactly what that something was, Jotunn wasn’t quite sure. He’d be the first to admit that Serana was a very attractive woman and at this point, he would die to keep her from harm. However, he didn’t know what that meant. It could very well mean he loved her. Or it could just mean that he’d die for his friends.

Jotunn shook his head. It was confusing. How could he develop special feelings for a vampire? He’d seen the worst of vampires during his travels and yet, here he was thinking about how he liked one. While he was on the subject, he was suddenly reminded of something Serana had once said. 

He grunted, causing Serana to look over at him as she pulled her hood lower over her face. “Okay, I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a while now. It’s a bit of a random question.”

“Oh? What is it?”

Jotunn rubbed the back of his head. “Do you remember when we talked about what you knew of the Elder Scrolls? And how you’d been trapped with one for a long time? You said, and I quote, ‘Turns out you don’t learn much from just sleeping with something.’”

Serana frowned. She didn’t like where this was going. “Yeah, what of it?”

“Were you maybe trying to flirt with me?” Jotunn asked.

He suddenly heard her breathing quicken and maybe he was going crazy, but he swore he’d just heard her heart beat. He blinked. He had to have imagined it.

Serana sped up so that Jotunn couldn’t see her face as she was pretty sure she’d blushed slightly. Something she hadn’t done in thousands of years. She wasn’t even sure she still could before that very moment. Despite her moving faster, she was positive that he had heard her sharp intake of breath which meant she had to do everything in her power not to let on that she was emotionally freaking out. He’d noticed her attempted pass at him. And if he had cared enough to notice it then that might mean he might like her back. 

She mentally slapped herself. What if he was bringing it up because he felt the same? But if that were true, then so many comments he had made suddenly took on a different meaning. Every tease or joke and every sarcastic compliment he’d ever paid her suddenly felt different. 

Jotunn eyed her, smirking. She’d tensed up when she moved ahead of him. He couldn’t tell if that was a good sign or not.

“Serana?” 

She jumped as if startled. “Er, what?”

Jotunn chuckled. “So were you? Flirting with me back then, I mean.”

Serana couched, picking up her pace even more. “Oh, um...maybe. Why? Should I not have?”

Jotunn smiled. “Just wondering. It’s something to think about.”

Serana snorted, glancing over her shoulder at his smiling self. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Now it was Jotunn who blushed and averted his gaze. “I don’t know. What do you think I’m saying?”

Serana turned her head back around, sniffing disdainfully. She wasn’t about to say it. Saying it meant it was real. And this was not a conversation one should have on the road. “I’m...not talking about this right now.”

Jotunn laughed. “Well when’s a good time to talk about it? There’s clearly something be—.”

“Jotunn…” Serana warned him. 

He shook his head. “Fine, fine. It was just an innocent question.”

“There was nothing innocent about it, and we both know that. I’m not talking about it.” She said pointedly. 

Jotunn grinned before sneezing once more. If she didn’t want to talk about it then that was fine by him. He knew when she felt like it, she’d broach the topic of feelings and all that, but until then, he’d respect her wishes. Though he had to admit he was tempted to bring whatever it was between them to light just to see the flustered side of her he knew would show. Flustered and embarrassed looked great on her. 

They continued on until the moon had long since risen before finally moving off the road and setting up a tiny camp nestled in between some particularly tall birch trees. They sat beside each other on a boulder with their backs to the trees, both on alert for any potential threats as they ate a light meal. Jotunn was nibbling on some samara fruit he’d picked off of one of the trees surrounding them while Serana bled a couple squirrels dry. 

He had to commend her for that. She was the first vampire he’d encountered who preferred animal blood over people’s. She’d told him that she’d always felt sorry for the people she’d drink from and after a while, she decided to purely drink animal blood. It was more humane ironically. Plus, she said drinking the blood of smaller animals was less wasteful as most vampires would simply drink their share and then leave the rest.

Crunching on a bite of samara, Jotunn cleared his throat. “So. Question for you.”

Serana sighed, wiping her mouth clean of the blood. “If this is another question about flirting, so help me I will stab you.”

Jotunn snickered and swallowed the fruit, reaching for another one. “Not this time, no. I was just wondering...Does it bother you that we’re working against your father?”

Serana, finished with the squirrel, dropped it on the ground and stretched. “I honestly can’t say it surprises me. I kind of figured we were heading for this some day. I just didn’t know when.”

Jotunn grunted, taking a bite of the fruit. “And what if we have to kill Harkon? That may be the only way we can stop him.”

Serana snorted. “If? I’ve been assuming that’s where all this is going. I’ve been trying to make my peace with it. I mean, what kind of child has to kill their own parent just to save the world? I feel bad for that child.”

Jotunn nodded, reaching down to grab the dead squirrel. He didn’t want to waste the perfectly good meat Serana hadn’t eaten. “Me too. No child, not even a vampire, should have to think about killing one of their parents. It’s a shit world we live in when that’s the case. And if it really does come down to that, I can make the killing blow. I’d rather you not have that on your conscience. Not if I can help it.”

Serana looked over at him as he dug into the squirrel. “I...Thank you. I appreciate the thought.”

Jotunn chewed on a larger bite of meat as Serana leaned back, gazing up at the night sky. “I have a question for you now.” Serana said.

Jotunn wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Alright. Hit me with it.”

“Why do you not change into your werewolf form at all? I’ve known you’re a werewolf ever since we met and yet, you’ve never changed in any of the many fights we’ve had, even if it might have helped. So why do you not change?”

Suddenly not hungry anymore, Jotunn tossed what remained of the squirrel away. “Aside from the fact that transforming is agonizing, it often leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Serana frowned. “What do you—Oh. You meant literally.”

Jotunn brought his leg up and leaned against it as he sat. “Yeah. Look, do you really want to know why I haven’t transformed at all since you met me?”

Serana scooter closer to him, nodding. “I do. I mean, if you’re comfortable with telling me.”

Jotunn took a deep breath. “You asked me about my first transformation a long time ago.”

“I remember.”

“Yes, well, it wasn’t a fun experience like I’ve said. This was right before me and Aela avenged Skjor’s death. After my initial transformation in a cave hidden behind Jorrvaskr, I was supposed to run out of the city through the cave. Instead, I ran out of the cave and into Whiterun. I remember smelling blood and only feeling a need to hunt and kill. I ran through the city. Luckily it was late and so there weren’t any civilians out and about, but there were still a number of guards making their rounds,” Jotunn said as Serana listened patiently. She could tell what was coming next. “They were just doing their duty and trying to keep the city safe from the rampaging werewolf that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. There must have been at least fifteen of them that tried to stop me that night...I slaughtered them all like animals. I ripped off chunks of them and ate them. And the ones I didn’t eat, I mauled and left them to bleed out in the street. Eventually, I made my way out of the city and ran for miles but only after I’d left a massacre behind me. That’s part of the reason why I don’t sleep much; I can still hear their screams in my dreams. But it’s also why I don’t transform often. Only when I absolutely need to. No one aside from the Companions, Lydia, and Snilf know that that massacre was my doing. Only they know that I’m a monster. And now you, I suppose. But hey, the past is the past I say. I mean who doesn’t have some massacred skeletons in their past?” Jotunn said, forcing out a chuckle. 

Serana moved closer to him still. She tentatively put her arm around his shoulders, ignoring that he tensed up when she did so. “You aren’t a monster.”

“And you don’t have to do this. I’m alright. No need for a speech.” Jotunn said as he attempted to move away. However, she squeezed his shoulder, effectively keeping him there with that vampiric strength of hers. 

“You’re right; I don’t have to do this. But I want to. Jotunn, if you’re a monster then I’m just a normal mortal. You’re a damn hero, Jotunn. You defeated Alduin and saved who knows how many lives. You saved the world. And now you’re working to save it again. So maybe not everything you’ve done is something good. Maybe you’ve lost control once or twice and killed people you shouldn’t have. But that doesn’t take away from the countless people that owe you their lives. The countless people that would be dead right now if you weren’t who you are. So I say screw feeling bad for yourself. You are who you are today because of the good and bad things you have done. Own it. Don’t dwell on it. You’re better than that.”

Jotunn smiled at her. She looked so serious all of a sudden. He wondered if he was the reason. “Am I better than that? Some of the things I’ve done would make even a feral vampire queasy and uncomfortable.”

“So? You’re a good man. You may have done some questionable things in the past but you’re still a good man.”

Jotunn chuckled, doing his best to avoid making eye contact with her. She was so close, it was hard to ignore her scent which was almost overpowering this close. She was technically undead so she didn’t smell alive as it were, but she also smelled strangely like jasmine mixed with sage? Whatever the smell was, it was intoxicating. He knew that if he looked into her eyes, on top of the scent washing over him, then he wouldn’t be able to resist kissing her. 

“And how do you know I’m really a good man?” He asked, his voice almost a whisper. 

There it was again. The sound reverberated around Jotunn’s head. Some faint thump sound coming from Serana, and this time, he was positive it had come from her. There was no denying it now. Serana’s heart had just beat. 

“Because I know you. You’re kind, gentle, and strong. As well as courageous, funny, and understanding. But you’re also super annoying and you always reek of wet dog. You can be irksome and intentionally rude and you’re funny and you always try to cheer up everyone around you. You’re intensely loyal to your friends and you’re handsome and...and...” Serana breathed, unconsciously moving in. She could hear Jotunn’s heart beating like crazy even as her own heart beat. 

Jotunn gave in to the temptation and looked up, meeting her warm blood orange eyes. Immediately, he got lost in them. Staring into her eyes felt like he was staring into an endless sunset. Try as he might, he couldn’t pry his gaze away from hers. “And..?” 

Simultaneously, they both leaned forward until they were merely inches apart. They would only realize it later, but they were both embracing one another. “And I know you.” Serana whispered before Jotun closed what little space they had left between each other and kissed her, even as she leaned forward to kiss him. The kiss felt like it lasted for hours. It very well could have. After all, what was time to a werewolf and a vampire? But eventually, they broke off, each of them breathing heavily. 

Serana moved some hair out of her eyes. Her hair, usually neatly done, had become loose during the kiss and now a few strands of it were partially covering her face. Jotunn was now blushing, his cheeks as red as an apple. But he didn’t care and neither did she. 

He grinned at her. “You know how you said you didn’t want to talk about it? Well, I’m pretty sure we just talked about it.”

Serana rolled her eyes and pushed him away. “You stupid mutt. We were having a moment and you just ruined it.”

Jotunn laughed as he fell off the boulder they were sitting on and onto the grass. “It was a good moment though, right?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Serana smiled at him warmly. “Yes. It definitely  _ was  _ a good moment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go haha they finally kissed. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and it’s special moment. Until next time! And stay safe :)


	27. Ridiculous Moth Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana discuss what they are before finding the Ancestor Glade. As they’re there, a beast is unleashed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the wait! I think it was well worth it hehe. Here’s a nice long chapter for you all! With something cool in it too ;)

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Grinning, Jotunn laid back in the grass and looked up at Serana, still blushing from their kiss. At this angle and with the night sky shining behind her, she looked beautiful. Like a view from a mountaintop, forever immortalized in a painting. 

“So...what does this mean?” Serana asked after a moment's hesitation.

Jotunn put his hands behind his head as he looked at her. “Does it have to mean something? We like each other. Can’t that be enough?”

Serana’s forehead creased together in a small frown. “No? I don’t know. I just feel like it should mean something.”

Jotunn snickered. “I got it! The kiss was your way of admitting your undying love for me. Heh. Get it?”

Serana smiled. “Yes, I got it. Undying and vampire, very funny. But you can’t deny that that kiss changed us.”

“I’m not denying anything. I know I have feelings for you despite my better judgement and you have feelings for me despite your better judgement. That’s enough for me. Besides, it’s not like we’re experts on the subject of relationships.”

Serana smirked. “Who said anything about a relationship? I’m just trying to get a new guard dog.”

Jotunn chuckled, looking past Serana and at the night sky. “And I’m looking for a leathery old bat to help keep the mosquitoes down. I call that a no lose situation.”

Serana raised her eye at him as she got off the rock and came to lie down beside him in the grass. “Um, I think you mean it’s a win win situation.”

Jotunn snorted. “I know what I said.”

Serana smiled and cleared her throat. “I should uh, lean against you or something, right? That’s what...normal people do in situations like this. I think.”

Jotunn chuckled. “I don’t think we register as normal, Serana. We’re about as far from normal as one can get.”

Serana snickered and hesitantly nudged up against him. She too, looked up at the night sky. Her hand was beside his and she moved it over to rest over his. He entwined his hand in hers as they lay there in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s company. 

“I must say, this is...nice. Usually when I’m this close to someone, they’re trying to kill me. This is a nice change of pace.” 

Serana grinned, squeezing his hand gently. “I could try to stab you or something if you’d like? Or I could punch you like most women seem to do.”

Jotunn winced. “Please don’t. I think I’m at capacity as far as women I know punching me. Speaking of which, do you happen to know why hurting me is a favorite pastime of all my so-called friends?”

Serana hummed, pretending to think about her response. “Maybe it’s because you’re a smug asshole almost all the time?”

“I like to think I’m an asshole only two thirds of the time.”

“That  _ is  _ why I said almost. Weren’t you paying attention to what I was saying?”

“I’m sorry; I was too busy being captivated by your beauty.”

Serana snorted, turning her head to look at him. “You weren’t even looking at me!”

Chuckling, Jotunn closed his eyes. “Yeah, well, you caught me.”

“Wait, was that an underhanded romantic comment?” She asked teasingly.

Jotunn grinned. He didn’t even have to open his eyes to know she was smiling. “Me? Romantic? Perish the thought. I’d sooner develop feelings for a nutty old bat than say something romantic.”

He heard her laugh happily and his grin widened. He enjoyed making her laugh. It was a small thing, but it made him happy. And happiness was in short supply lately. 

_ Who knew I’d be here all snuggled up against a vampire, holding her hand? Ugh. Snilf and Delvin would never let me hear the end of it if they knew. _

Jotunn smiled and squeezed Serana’s hand which although cold, was somehow softer than anything he’d ever felt. Her scent had long since enveloped him and he could feel her beside him, breathing quietly as she gazed up at the twinkling stars above them.

He could definitely get used to this.

“Yeah, I know of a glade nearby. Why didn’t you just ask me about it in the first place?” 

Jotunn smacked his forehead and sighed in annoyance. “I  _ did _ ! That was one of the first things I said to you when we got here!” 

Angi blinked and crossed her arms. “If you’re going to have an attitude then I’m not going to help you and you can find the glade on your own. Happy hunting.” 

Jotunn threw his hands up, groaning. 

After making the long trip to Falkreath, Jotunn and Serana had hiked up the mountain south of the town to check with Angi to see if she knew of the glade. Angi was an old friend of Jotunn’s from his early adventuring days and he figured that if anyone near Falkreath knew where to find the Ancestor Glade, it would be her. She knew those mountains like the back of her hand, if not better. Right after the introductions, Jotunn had wasted no time asking about the glade, but apparently, Angi had either misheard him or ignored his question. Either way, it was just like her. 

“Angi…”

Angi held her head high and snorted. “No. I’m not helping. Go away.”

“But—.”

“Don’t make me shoot you again.” The blonde Nord said.

Jotunn backed up and Serana chuckled. She had been watching the interaction from the sideline, thoroughly entertained by the pointless back and forth. It seemed to her that many, if not all of Jotunn’s ‘friends’ weren’t on the same page as to whether or not they were actual friends. They all seemed just as likely to punch Jotunn than help him. Especially the women. It was almost as if he had a gift for simultaneously being someone’s close friend and most hated enemy. Really, the only people she’d come across that seemed like full on friends of his were Ralof, Brynolf, and Snilf. If she didn’t count Meeko that is. 

When the others looked at her questioningly, she grinned, raising an eyebrow. “You shot Jotunn?”

Angi nodded. “Of course I did. He was being an ass.” 

Serana smirked. “When is he not?”

Angi laughed, nodding her head enthusiastically. “See, you get it! I’ve known him for years and he’s always been an ass.”

John raised a hand. “I’m right here by the way.”

Serana looked at him. “So? Is the big bad Dragonborn’s pride wounded? Just admit it; you’re kind of a jerk. A lot.”

Jotunn frowned, a little confused. But then Angi laughed again and Jotunn realized what Serana was doing. She was ingratiating herself with Angi by poking fun at him and bonding over it with Angi. She was trying to get on her good side so that Angi would tell them where the glade was. And better yet, it was working.

Angi wiped a tear from her eye, still smiling and gave Serana a pat on the back. “For a vampire, you’re not half bad. And I guess if Jotunn is traveling with you then whatever you two are up to must be really important and serious, huh. Fine then. The glade you’re looking for is back up the path but instead of turning right at that intersection like you would to get here, go left. Follow the path for a while and you’ll reach a cave. There’s a glade inside which should be what you want. I wouldn’t linger there though; the place makes me feel off.”

Jotunn choked. “Seriously? The glade is that easy to find? You could have told us that when I asked earlier and we’d already be out of your…” He faltered when Serana raised a hand at him to stop talking. 

Angi glared at him. “I only told you because of your vampire friend. But hey, if he’s a jerk to you while you visit the glade, come back here and I’ll shoot him in the back.”

“Again.” Jotunn muttered. 

Serana stifled a laugh. “You shot him in the back? Ah, you just became my hero.”

Angi laughed again and shook Serana’s hand. The two kept going back and forth about how annoying Jottun could be while Jotunn did his best to steer Serana away. After several minutes passed, he was able to steer the vampire back to the task at hand.

Jotunn mumbled under his breath as they walked away after saying their goodbyes. While he understood why Serana had said everything she’d said, it didn’t mean he wasn’t slighted by it. Which he found odd. In most cases, he could care less about what people said about him, true or otherwise. But he did care what Serana thought of him. And there was no way that there wasn’t a kernel of truth in what she said to Angi. Granted, he would be the first to admit he wasn’t the easiest person to be around, but that was besides the point. 

When they reached the intersection Angi talked about and continued on along the path, Serana smiled. “I like her.”

Jotunn’s only response was to grunt. 

“And she really shot you in the back? Is there a story there or..?”

Jotunn groaned, suddenly remembering the feeling of having an arrow poking him through his armor. “I beat her at a little bow competition. I may or may not have been a sore winner. As I was leaving, she shot me when I was about seventy yards away. So now she threatens to shoot me again whenever I piss her off.”

Serana snickered. “Which is every time she sees you, I take it?”

Jotunn sighed, nodding. “Pretty much.”

“Should I walk behind you then? I mean, you never know if she’ll do it again. You know, for old times sake.”

Jottun groaned and picked up his pace, causing Serana to burst out laughing. It wasn’t often she could tease him like this and so she was enjoying it while she could. 

After another mile following the path, they soon came to the cave entrance. It was more like a crack in the mountainside right on the edge of a cliff face, but seeing as there wasn’t anything else that could have been the entrance to a cave, they decided to take their chances and head in. With the sun warming their backs, they squeezed through the entrance and came out into a thin tunnel. 

Once they were through, Serana shivered, garnering the attention of Jotunn. He knew her feelings on caves and enclosed spaces. She hated them. Mainly because they made her just a tad claustrophobic. Something Jotunn could understand. If he had spent entire lifetimes stuck in a monolith inside a cave, he’d be sick of them too. 

He, however, didn’t mind caves and the like. In fact, he almost preferred them over wide open spaces. Caves were far easier to sneak around in. Not that it wasn’t easy for him to sneak around in an open area, it was just considerably more fun for him to sneak around in caves. Forests and cities didn’t have nearly as many good hiding places. 

“Why is everywhere we go a cave or old ruin? Can’t we go to a nice creek or a field of flowers or something every now and then?” Serana said as she pulled her hood back. 

Jotunn shrugged. “Beats me. I’ve been asking myself that for years.”

“But you like caves and old ruins,” Serana said pointedly. “Especially ones with riches in them.”

Jotunn didn’t respond. She was correct, after all. 

They followed the tunnel and soon came out into a tiny cavern, filled with ferns, bushes, and flowers. A fallen log joined two ledges on opposite sides of the cavern. A couple rays of sunlight shone through several openings in the cave’s ceiling. 

Jotunn grunted.  _ I suppose it’s quaint enough, but I definitely don’t see what all the fuss is about. The way Dexion described it before we left, you’d think it was a paradise. The Eldergleam Sanctuary is prettier than this place. _

Serana too, it seemed, wasn’t taken back by the glade either. “Hmph...not very impressive, is it? If this ends up being a wasted trip, Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back.”

Jotunn frowned, walking up to the fallen log and looking around. “This can’t be it.”

Serana chuckled. “Yeah, this isn’t nearly as jaw dropping as Dexion said it’d be. If this whole thing was just horse shit, I swear…”

Jotunn scratched his chin. “No. Dexion wouldn’t have had us come here if he wasn’t positive the glade could help. But wait. I don’t see any trees in here, do you?”

Serana looked around at all the plants and snorted. “Nope. Are we in the wrong cave then?”

“Actually, I think we just haven’t gone deep enough in.” Jotunn said before licking his finger and raising it up. He could feel a draft coming from over the ledge on the far side of the cave. 

He clamored onto the log and walked across it. “Ah, here we go. I found another tunnel.” 

“Lucky us.” Serana said as she climbed up behind him. 

They followed the new tunnel and after a few minutes had gone by, they could hear the sound of rushing water. They rounded a corner and stepped through a short iron bar door and out into a huge hollow with several waterfalls cascading out into many small pools of crystal clear water. Tall green pine trees reached upwards for the sun that shone through a gaping hole in the ceiling. Stone paths led down and around the hollow. A couple small geysers erupted from some of the pools, creating a light mist that clung to everything in the glade. In the middle of the pools was a platform with a raised half circle made of rock. Near the platform were several curled trees, their pink flower petals gleaming in the sunlight. The entire place was serene, like something out of a legend. 

Jotunn glanced over at Serana who was staring at the glade, in awe. “Is this jaw dropping enough for you?” 

Serana shook her head, amazing by how beautiful the glade was. “Look at this place. No one has been here in centuries. I doubt there’s any other place like it in Skyrim. It’s beautiful.”

Jotunn nodded in agreement. “I’ll say. Have you ever seen anything like this?”

“It’s not like anything I’ve seen, I can tell you that much. From now or...before. Though I’d wager there’s probably glades like this all over Tamriel. Most people just don’t know what to look for. Remind me to never doubt Dexion again.”

Jotunn grinned. “Remember to never doubt Dexion again.”

Serana laughed and playfully nudged his shoulder. “Smartass. Come on, let’s get down there.”

Jotunn followed the excited vampire down to the pools, smiling to himself as she bent down to pick some flowers that were by the water. As she wove the flowers together to make a crown, he walked over to the rocky half circle near the pink trees. Floating in the middle of the statue was a curved knife with two handles. A swirled pattern was etched into the handles. 

Jotunn pursed his lips. If he had to guess, this was the drae knife Dexion told them about. Which meant that the pink trees were most likely canticle trees. 

He reached over and grabbed hold of the knife, taking it out of the air, expecting something special to happen. But nothing did. It was just a regular draw knife. 

He stepped up to the closest canticle tree and brought the knife’s blade to the tree trunk. Pushing the blade into the trunk and dragging it down, he cut some of the bark off. As he cut the bark off, some of the tree’s sap leaked out and dribbled over his hands. The sap smelled surprisingly sweet, similar to maple syrup. Not knowing how much bark he had to draw, he stopped cutting after a moment and cleaned the knife off in the water below the tree. 

“I hope the moths like that bark as much as Dexion said they would.” Serana said from behind him. 

Jotunn turned around and smiled at Serana, who was now wearing her newly crafted crown of flowers. “Who knew? There’s a sweet side to you after all.” 

Serana rolled her eyes. “What if I just wanted to look cute as I beat you to a bloody pulp?”

Jotunn laughed. “Calm down. I was only messing with you. You look good.”

Serana put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at him. “Just good?”

Jotunn grinned back at her. “Yup. Just good. I’d say great, but I wouldn’t want your ego to get any higher than it already is.”

“Uh huh.” 

Jotunn chuckled as he walked over to an eclipse of moths flitting about on the edge of the pools. “Okay so I have no idea what to do now. Should I pick up the bark and wave it around or..?” 

As they watched, the moths all fluttered over to him. Some landed on him and held on as others merely flew around him. 

Serana snickered, her hand going over her mouth. Jotunn looked uncomfortable wiith the moths suddenly becoming his new friends. “Look at them. They’ve definitely taken a liking to you. And unless I’m seeing things, you’re starting to...glimmer.”

Jotunn sighed, doing his best not to grow ticklish as the moths flitted around him. He resisted the urge to smack them off. “Great. Looking back on it, I’m glad we didn’t have to rescue a leech priest or a giant spider priest. Because if we had and I would have to have a host of spiders crawling all over me right now instead of moths, I would happily fight every vampire in Castle Volkihar by myself.”

Serana snorted and nodded him off. “Go on and gather more of your new moth friends. I’ll wait here.”

Groaning, Jotunn walked away in search of more moths. Luckily, he didn’t have to look far as there were loads of eclipses throughout the glade. After about five minutes, he must have had more than thirty Ancestor moths flying around him. By then, even he was seeing the glimmering Serana mentioned. And he could hear a faint hum coming from all the moths. 

He slowly made his way back to Serana so as to not frighten off the moths and the second she saw him, she laughed. Nearly doubling over in laughter in fact. 

Jotunn sighed once more. “What?” He said, annoyed. 

“You look ridiculous! It’s like you’re wearing moths!” Serana was able to say between laughs. 

Jotunn rolled his eyes, an action that was becoming increasingly difficult to do with a bunch of moths flying into his face. 

Once Serana got a hold of herself, she wiped a tear from her eye. “I’d say that’s enough moths.” She said.

“It damn well better be.” Muttered Jotunn as he stepped up to the platform. Stepping into the ray of light that shone over the platform, he said, “Hand me the scroll, please. I’d get it but as you can see, I’m a little busy at the moment.”

Grinning, Serana carefully took the Elder Scroll off his back and handed it to him. 

Gripping the scroll in his hands, he took a deep breath. If this didn’t work, then he would be left a drooling madman. Or if he was lucky, it’d kill him outright. “Wish me luck.” He said as Serana nodded. 

With the moths flying around him singing their song, Jotunn opened the scroll and gazed upon the parchment. At first he didn’t see anything, but the longer he looked at it, the more he could see. The scroll showed him a dark cave entrance. For whatever reason, he knew the cave was called Darkfall Passage even though he’d never heard of it before. And that it was in the Reach, near one of the Orc strongholds. As the vision began to fade, Jotunn closed the Scroll ans lowered it, shaking his head as he did so. 

Serana quickly took the scroll and placed it back on her back. The moths flew off as Jotunn stumbled and regained his balance. Serana helped to steady him and looked at him, worry plastered across her face. “Are you okay? Almost thought I lost you there...you went as white as the snow.”

Jotunn shook his head to clear away the final remnants of the vision. He licked his lips. Reading Elder Scrolls always left his mouth dry. “That felt...strange.”

Serana smiled in relief and hugged him quickly. “I could see it in your eyes. You looked about a thousand leagues away. Are you sure you’re alright?”

Jotunn nodded. “I’m okay. Though I wouldn’t recommend that experience to anyone.”

“Well as long as you’re okay. And what Auriel’s Bow? Do you know where we can find it?” Serana asked.

“The scroll showed me where it is.”

Serana let out a shaky breath. “Then it’s almost over. We can finally put an end to this ridiculous prophecy.”

Jotunn grinned. “That’s the plan. It’s in a place called Darkfall Passage. The scrolls gave me its exact location.”

Serana smiled, stepping back from him. “Then let’s get going! I want to get there before my father has a chance to track us down.”

Jotunn went to reply but froze as his nose picked up the scent of vampires closing in on them. He looked at Serana who nodded. She’s smelled them too.

They unsheathed their weapons and looked up at the entrance they’d come through just to see a large group of vampires and their thralls rushing through the iron door. A gargoyle followed closely behind. 

Jotunn groaned. “Things can never be easy, can they?” He muttered his breath as they moved to meet the vampires. 

“WULD!” Jotunn yelled, the Shout propelling him forward. As he slowed right in the middle of the attacking group of vampires, he blocked a forward thrust from a thrall. His blade like lightning, he stabbed the thrall in his side, just below his armpit, killing him instantly. As the thrall crumpled to the ground, Jotunn turned his attention onto the gargoyle which was now breathing down his neck. It lunged at him, it’s claws nearly grazing Jotunn’s arm as he leaped back out of the way. The second he was on his feet again, he darted in close to sink his blades into the gargoyle’s chest. It tried to bite him but he moved away before coming back in to sweep the legs out from underneath it. It hit the ground and Jotunn jumped onto it, bringing one of his swords through the thing’s head as he blocked an axe from a lesser vampire. With the gargoyle dead, Jotunn jumped off its body and tackled the lesser vampire. She gave a yelp from the unexpected action which was to be her last as his blade pierced her side. The lesser vampire disintegrated into dust as Jotunn leapt back to his feet, ready for the next attacker. As he did so, he involuntarily glanced over to where Serana had been fighting a number of other vampires and their thralls. 

Jotunn saw Serana on the ground, desperately backing up, her dagger having been knocked out of her grasp. One of her hands was bloody and she had a long cut over her forehead. The other vampires were closing in on her, taunting her. The crown of flowers she’d made was in tatters in front of her, crumpled and stepped on. One of the vampires raised a sword to enact the killing blow. 

It was then that something snapped in Jotunn and he was overcome by intense rage. Rage that grew into something else. His vision went red and he clenched his growing teeth, growling in fury. He dropped his swords as his body morphed into something inhuman. These vampires would soon face his fury. And they would soon sate his hunger. 

Across the battlefield, Serana watched as the other vampire raised his sword high. At this range, she knew she wouldn’t have enough time to cast a spell before that sword found its mark. She looked up, staring death in the eye. And then everyone froze, the hairs on their neck rising as a single, guttural howl pierced the air, echoing for miles around and filling them all with terror. It was the sound of a hunter beginning a hunt, a killer set loose. Serana looked over at the direction of the howl and winced, suddenly terrified. If she was mortal, her heart surely would have stopped. 

There, across the battlefield and hunched over a pile of thrall corpses, was a werewolf. There, was Jotunn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! So what did you think of that ending, huh? I’ve been talking about ans teasing Jotunn in his werewolf form but I’ve never actually shown it. I’d like to say that was all leading up to this moment but honestly I just thought this chapter was a good chance to showcase it haha. Anyway, thoughts on this chapter and Jottun and Serana’s blossoming relationship? And as always, until next time! (Next chapter will hopefully be longer like this one) And stay safe :)


	28. Down Boy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serana and Jotunn kick some gory butt and then chat about who’s stronger in a fight. It ends as well as you’d expect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this chapter is on the shorter side but has some decent action and banter

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

The group of vampires all spun around to face Jotunn as he slowly slunk towards them. He was nearly twice his size in human form with extended arms and legs. On the end of his feet and hands were long razor sharp claws that clinked against the rocky floor as he crept ever closer. A long bushy tail swept around him, helping to keep his balance. His body was pure unbridled muscle, some of which could be seen when he moved. His chest still vaguely looked like a human’s chest, only more toned and far more hulking. Dark brown fur covered his whole body aside from the places where his many scars were which showcased his grey leathery skin. His ears were pulled back as he snarled. Blood dripped down from his wide jaws. His blue eyes were now closer to silver. And Serana could only see fury in them. 

Jotunn opened his jaws and although he didn’t move them, she could hear his voice. What was once sweet and playful, was now guttural and violent. 

“All of you...I’ll kill you all.”

In the blink of an eye, he broke off at a run and slammed into the closest vampire, knocking him down. The second the vampire was down, Jotunn slashed his chest open, his claws ripping through the vampire’s armor like it was made of sand. The vampire disintegrated and Jotunn was moving on to the next one, slashing his chest open as well. A vampire ran at him, her sword raised high. Jotunn spun his head towards her and leaped, knocking her off balance. In that split second, he snapped, his jaw closing around her neck and nearly biting her neck apart.

Then he roared as a lucky thrall cut his back. Jotunn twisted around and hit the thrall away. Jotunn stepped on top of the thrall and pinned her down before clawing her side. She screamed in pain that turned to terror when Jotunn bit her arm off and spat it back at her head. 

Serana watched as he then bit her head, crushing her skull and making her eyes explode out of her face. Serana winced. She’d seen countless gore in her life, but even she had to admit that Jottun’s attacks were brutal. But as savage as they were, there was intelligence behind them. The ferocity of his kills were having an effect on the other vampires. All of their attention was on Jotunn as he tore through them; it was all they could do to not retreat. And with their attention on Jotunn, Serana picked her dagger up and got back to her feet. She wouldn’t be caught off guard again. 

She stepped up behind the master vampire that had been the one to shove her to the ground and tapped him on the shoulder. As he spun around, startled, she sank her dagger deep in between his ribs. “Bye bye.” She said with a smile as he doubled over in pain. Serana wrenched the dagger out of him only to stab him again, over and over until he crumpled to dust. Serana shivered in disgust and shook her feet to get the dust off them. 

She really hoped that not all vampires turned to dust if they died. She’d hate to be killed and reduced to ash like that. It was gross. 

She walked up behind another vampire and drew her blade across his throat before a thrall took notice of her and attacked. The thrall held a hide shield and an iron axe. Serana crashed against the shield, pushing him back and knocking the shield out of his hand. Grinning, she closed the distance between them and shoved her dagger into his side. Coughing up his own blood, he sank to the ground. Serana mercifully put him out of his misery by flicking her wrist and shooting a spike of ice through his head. 

By now, more of the other vampires and their thralls were realizing that they’d forgotten about Serana and so many of them turned around to face her. Which proved just as fatal to them than if they had stayed focused on the rampaging werewolf. 

Three made moves toward her and she met the closest, blocking her forward thrust and grabbing her wrist, flinging her behind her. Walking forward, she sidestepped a thrall with a battleaxe and stuck him like a pig before reanimating him to keep the thrall behind her busy so she could kill the third thrall. As the two fought, Serana shot an ice spike into the third thrall’s leg, pinning him down. She stepped up to him, easily dodging his desperate swings and slit his throat. As his body went limp, she snapped her fingers and the reanimated thrall fell over top of the first thrall’s dead body. 

Some sixth sense told her to duck and as she did, a body flew over her head. She looked back to see Jotunn tearing one of the last of their attackers. The final surviving attacker was retreating, running back up the steps towards the entrance. Jotunn raised his head from the body he had been ripping apart and broke off after the survivor. Running him down, Jotunn leaped onto the poor man’s back just as they rounded a bend in the path. Rocks obstructed her view of them, but she didn’t need to see to know what was happening. The man screamed in agony and fear as Jotunn mauled him, his screams echoing throughout the glade. Serana cringed. Her enhanced hearing meant that she could hear every crunch of the man’s bones and every slush of his insides slipping out of his body. 

After what felt like hours, Jotunn slowly crept around the bend and slunked down the steps, towards Serana. Serana raised her hands up after sheathing her dagger, taking a couple steps back. “Easy now. It’s just me.”

Jotunn kept advancing, the hair on his haunches sticking up. He uttered a low menacing growl, his jaws dripping with blood. 

Serana chuckled nervously. “Down, boy. Sit.” Jotunn’s growl got louder. “Please?”

Jotunn rose to his hind legs and stepped closer. Changing tactics, Serana hissed and bared her fangs at him, locking eyes with him. Jotunn snarled and raised one of his paws. Instantly, Serana dropped into a defensive crouch. While she had no desire to fight Jotunn in this state, she wouldn’t hesitate to defend herself from a rampaging werewolf. 

Instead of attacking, however, Jotunn staggered as if he had been hit. Then he slowly began to morph back to his normal form. His posture straightened and he shrunk, his limbs returning to human length. His hunched back straightened out and she could hear the bones creaking as they moved back to their previous places and size. His jaw unhinged itself before resetting, shrinking as his teeth did. The hair that covered his body retracted back into his skin and his claws slid back up his hands, returning to regular nails and fingers. He winced as he changed. Transforming never got easier. Luckily, all of his armor was enchanted so that it changed with him. Otherwise, he’d be more or less naked every time he reverted back to human. 

As Serana relaxed, Jotunn spat out some blood. Serana looked him over. “That was...something.”

Jotunn walked over to her broken crown and picked the tattered flowers up. He coughed, clearing his throat. “So um...I didn’t do anything too horrible, I hope? It’s been a while since I let my anger get the better of me.”

Serana met his eyes. “Are you kidding? You were like a feral animal let loose. You were vicious and bloody and downright terrifying,” Jotunn averted his gaze, bowing his head solemnly. Serana stepped up to him and held his hands as they tightened around her ruined crown. “Jotunn, you were fantastic! The way you crushed that one lady’s head in your jaws and how you leapt from one unfortunate soul to the other...It was so gory and incredible. You’re actually kind of cute as a werewolf too.”

Jotunn could only stare at her, with one eyebrow raised and a look of genuine concern on his face. “You think I’m cute when I’m in my wolf form mauling people to death?”

Serana nodded. “Well when you put it that way it sounds like I’m insane. But yeah, I do. You’re kind of cute as a wolf. With your little wet nose and your perky ears and your fluffy tail.”

It was partially true. She did think he looked cute as a mutt and she did think the way he took out their attackers was incredible, but it was more than that. She couldn’t explain it, but the moment he had told her his true thoughts on being a werewolf, she got the feeling that he almost felt embarrassed. Like it was this thing he didn’t like to discuss in public. And instead of telling him it was shocking and dark, she wanted to let him know that she didn’t care if he got his claws a little bloody. She liked him, werewolf and all. 

Jotunn blinked. Then his mouth cracked in a smile. And before he knew it, he was laughing. 

“What? Are you laughing at me?” 

Jotunn nodded, wiping a tear from his eye. “This is the first time anyone has ever called me cute while I’m in my werewolf form. Why am I not at all surprised it’d be you that would say that?”

Serana shrugged. “Stick around me long enough and I’m sure I’ll surprise you eventually.”

Jotunn grinned, back to his regular cheerful self. Which Serana was glad for. He looked far too handsome with those gloomy puppy eyes. “So have any thoughts on how these dead idiots found the glade?” 

Serana pursed her lips. “Don’t know. Do you think they could have tracked us here? Or were they just really lucky and stumbled upon this place?” 

Jotunn grunted and retrieved his swords from where he dropped them. “Your guess is as good as mine. But we have what we came here for: the location of the bow which is now burned into my mind. So we should leave before any other surprises come out and er, surprise us.”

Serana nodded. “I agree. We wouldn’t want any more surprises to surprise us. Though, do you think we should check on Angi? What if my father’s lackeys found this place through her?”

Jotunn snorted, already shaking his head. “They’d have to go through her first. And Angi knows how to take care of herself, trust me.”

The two began to hike up the path leading out of the glade after quickly burying what remained of the thralls. Normally, they would have simply left the bodies where they lay, but they didn’t want to tarnish the glade any more than necessary. And leaving dead bodies to rot and infect the water would definitely cause some problems.

As they passed through the iron gate, Jotunn grunted. “Hey, Serana?”

“Yeah?” Serana said, turning towards him. 

“Did you uh...did you tell me to sit at some point when I was in my werewolf form ?”

Serana coughed, nearly choking on her spit. “No. You must have imagined it.”

Jotunn frowned. “Really? Because I could have sworn I heard you say, ‘down, boy’ to me.”

Serana shook her head frantically and hastily picked up her pace. “Not at all. You’re crazy.”

Jotunn chuckled. “I’m pretty sure you did. You know, sometimes I swear you’re convinced I’m your dog or something.”

“Crazy!” She yelled as she hurried away, embarrassed. 

Jotunn laughed to himself as he watched her run on ahead.  _ And there’s something I’ll never let her forget. _

Serana snickered. “Okay, tell me honestly: Aela or Lydia?”

“Ugh, that’s a tough one.” Jotunn said, cocking his head to the side. The two were sitting under an alcove halfway down the mountain. It had started pouring out and as neither of them wished to get drenched, they had taken shelter to wait out the rain. Having nothing better to do, Serana had started asking him who would win in a fight between his friends. The most recent question was the hardest yet. 

“Come on. You have to choose. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them.” Serana said as she rolled her pebble between her fingers. 

Jotunn groaned. “You do this on purpose. How am I supposed to choose?”

Serana snickered and poked his side. “Decide or I’ll do it for you and then tell them ‘your’ answer.” 

Jotunn lowered his head. Serana could be pure evil when she desired to be. “Fine. If I had a sword to my throat and was forced to make a decision, then I suppose I’d say that Aela would win in a fight.”

Serana grinned, pleased he hasn’t picked Lydia. “Good choice. Now explain your reasoning. And don’t just say because Aela is a werewolf.”

“Because Aela is a hunter. Lydia is a fearless and powerful warrior, but Aela is quicker and her mind is just as quick.”

Serana raised an eye. “Oh, so you’re saying Lydia isn’t smart?”

Jotunn frowned. “No, that isn’t at all what I’m saying. I’m saying she’s smart but Aela is always a step ahead of her opponent. She thinks ahead while Lydia charges in without a second thought.”

Serana shrugged. “All I’m saying is that you don’t think Lydia is smart.”

“Ugh. I never said that.”

“I’m definitely going to let her know how you think of her the next time I see her.” Teased Serana.

“Please don’t. And I don’t know why you’re messing with me about this. You  _ did  _ tell me to answer honestly. And why are you defending Lydia? I thought you hated her.”

Serana snorted, raising her hand out to gather up some rainwater that was trickling down from the alcove. “I don’t hate her. I dislike her. There’s a difference. She’s too protective of you, like a mother hen. It’s nauseating.”

Jotunn chuckled. “We’ve been through a lot together; of course she’s going to be protective of me. It’s sort of her way of showing me she cares.”

“And do you care about her?” Serana asked.

Jotunn’s mouth twitched. He had to be extremely careful with his next words. Otherwise he might end up going down the mountain the very quick way. “Yes, I care about Lydia. But I don’t  _ care  _ about Lydia. I don’t care about her the way I care about you. She’s one of my closest friends, but you...you’re special.”

Jotunn grinned as Serana leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest. Her free hand clasped over his. “That was sweet.” She said quietly.

He chuckled. “I can ruin it if you’d like. I’m great at ruining sweet moments.”

She moved her head to the side and kissed his stubbly cheek. “Don’t you dare,” A couple minutes passed before Serana turned on her side and buried her head in his chest, clutching around his waist. “Ralof or Gerdur.”

Jotunn snorted. “Easy. Gerdur. Ralof is a baby compared to Gerdur.”

Serana laughed and closed her eyes. The sound of Jotunn’s heart and the rain were calming to her. She just wanted to relax and listen for a while. 

“I mean Ralof may be a soldier but he’s a chicken when it comes to Gerdur. And fighting her? He’d lose in a heartbeat. I dare say I would lose to her too. That woman can wield axes and steak knives like you wouldn’t believe.” Jotunn continued, goaded on by her laughter. “And don’t get me started on her ability to wield guilt. She once made me feel guilty enough to return all of the trinkets from the Sleeping Giant inn. Granted, now that I think about it, I may have just been drunk and—.”

“Jotunn.” Serana interrupted. 

“Yeah?” 

“Stop talking.”

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter might be something special wink wink nudge nudge ;)   
> Until next time! And stay safe :)


	29. Vampires and Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Falkreath, Jotunn and Serana come across a vampire from Jotunn’s past. The pair comes very close to something ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is on the shorter side (mainly cuz I wanted to end the chapter a certain way hehe) and is dialogue heavy

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT 

“Alright. I give up. Why do you look so sour right now?” Serana asked as they walked. They were east of Falkreath, about a day's hike from the town. The plan was to get more supplies there before heading north through Markarth to Darkfall Passage. But Jotunn wasn’t his usual self as they walked through the lush forests of the hold. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t like Falkreath. They were just dangerously close to the old sanctuary and there were too many bad memories there. Jotunn didn’t want to have to explain to Serana that there was a burnt down hideout of assassins nearby that he had once resided in for a time. 

“There’s a place nearby from my past that I don’t remember fondly, is all.”

Serana grinned, her curiosity piqued. “Oh? And what is this place you don’t like called? Is it another old dungeon?” She gasped dramatically. “Are you seeing another vampire you rescued from an ancient crypt? How dare you!” 

Jotunn rolled his eyes but he was smiling. He nudged her playfully before ducking under a stooping branch. “Her name is Helga. One look at my hairy body made her hopelessly in love with me. Now, I tried to tell her I didn’t think of her in that way, but you know how stubborn vampire women can be.”

Serana laughed and Jotunn mentally sighed. He loved her laugh. No matter his mood, one laugh from her was enough to rejuvenate him. 

“I don’t know, Jotunn. How stubborn can vampire women be?” She asked pointedly. 

“I’ll have you know vampire women can be very stubborn. Also quite picky. Unless when it comes to men. Then they’ll just take the first hairy mutt they come across. Especially if that mutt happens to have my charm and good looks.”

Serana hummed, walking around a tree. Since they didn’t want to be noticed by anyone, they were walking off the road for as long as possible before they reached the town. Something she was quickly growing tired of. “Well, some parts of that is true.”

Jotunn blinked. “The later or the former? Serana, which parts?”

When she ignored him, he snickered. “Fine. I’m going to assume the former. Now let’s stop here and have a snack. We’ve been walking all day and all of last night and I need some food.” Jotunn said as he stopped walking and pulled out two apples from his bag. Handing one to Serana, he leaned against a tree and took a big bite of his apple. 

Serana eyed the fruit and rubbed it on her shirt before biting into it. Not that she was hungry. She’d had plenty of blood the other night but having regular food from time to time was fun. Sort of like a reminder of another life. 

As they ate, Jotunn looked around at the trees with their leaves that bristled in the breeze. A couple birds chirped above them. It was peaceful and strangely relaxing. 

Serana watched him, taking notice of his smile. She was glad she’d been able to get his mind off the place that was making him upset. She didn’t like it when he was upset. Mainly because he was horrible at it. He’d get this lost puppy look that drove her nuts. He was too cute when he was upset; people shouldn’t look that good when they’re upset. 

“So this bow. What’s the story behind it?” Jotunn asked her suddenly.

“Bow? You mean Auriel’s Bow?”

Jotunn nodded, taking another bite. “Yeah, Auriel’s Bow. That was it. What do you know about it? Because all I know about it is that it’s a bow. Oh, and it’s Auriel’s.”

Serana sighed. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re hopeless?”

Without missing a beat, Jotunn replied. “Almost everyone that’s ever met me, yes.”

Serana snorted. It sounded right. “Okay, well I don’t know much. If you read any history, it shows up from time to time, but it’s a hard thing to track. As far as I know, though, it’s never been held by a vampire. That would be a new one.”

Jotunn snickered. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll make history by being the first one to hold it. But what’s it got to do with the sun and this Auriel fellow?”

“Really? Do you not read any history?” Serana asked. When Jotunn shook his head, she groaned. “Auriel is one of the elven gods. He’s with the rest of them in Aetherius. The way I’ve heard it, the sun represents the connection from our world to theirs. Supposedly, the bow draws its energy from the sun itself, which is why it shows up in that prophecy.”

Finished with his apple, Jotunn tossed away the core. “And what’s it do, exactly? Aside from shooting arrows.”

“That part, I don’t know. Once we have it, hopefully it’ll be obvious.”

Jotunn raised an eye. “You’re that sure we’ll be able to get it? It’s the ancient relic of an ancient elven god.”

Serana nodded confidently. “Of course we will. How can we not when I’m me and you have that great fetching ability?”

Jotunn chuckled. “I’m joking; I know we’ll find it. I mean, I already have loads of other god’s relics so why not add another to the collection and—. Hold on. My fetching ability?”

Serana smiled innocently at him. “It’s very good. I admit I’m a little jealous of you.”

Jotunn glared at her. “You smell like death.”

Serana laughed, knowing full well that she won their banter. Whenever Jotunn resorted to petty insults, she knew she won. “Don’t get mad at me for stating a fact. When you throw that stick for Meeko, you want to go fetch it too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” 

Jotunn groaned, planting his face in his hands. “It was  _ one time  _ that I thought of that. Ugh, I regret ever telling you.”

“You two banter and bicker like you’ve known each other for hundreds of years.” 

Jotunn blinked. It took a moment for it to register that neither he or Serana had just spoken. If neither of them had just talked, then who had? 

He turned to look in the direction of who had spoken and frowned, thoroughly confused. “Babette?”

The ‘young’ vampire gave him a toothy grin. 

Serana turned and then jumped back in surprise. A little girl was just all of a sudden standing nearby, smiling at them. She was wearing a red shirt and a long skirt. She had light brown hair and if not for her red eyes and scent, Serana would have just thought she was a normal young girl. But she was a vampire. The shocking thing about her, however, was that she’d somehow snuck up on another vampire  _ and  _ a werewolf without either ever noticing her presence until she had spoken. It was crazy. 

Babette smiled. “I was on my way back from visiting the graves at the sanctuary like I do every so often, when I heard your voice and a woman’s voice from afar. So I came to say hello. Imagine my surprise to find you traveling with another vampire,” Babette put her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side. “So what is she to you, hmm? Friend? Traveling companion? Enemy? Lover?”

Jotunn blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s my um...my uh...my…”

Babette nodded, smiling with a twinkle in her eye. “Ahh, she’s your lover I see. I must admit though. I always thought you preferred your women to have a steady heartbeat. She must be really special then.”

Jotunn swallowed, cursing his luck. Of all of the members he might come across out here, it would of course have to be Babette. He liked the blood sucking assassin, but she could be a bit too blunt. 

“Sorry, who is this person?” Serana said, cutting in. 

Babette turned her attention to Serana and glared at her. “I could ask the same of you miss ‘cleavage out on display.’ You think you’re good enough for my dear?”

Serana gaped at her. “Your dear? Jotunn, what is she talking about?”

Jotunn groaned, suddenly wishing a dragon would swoop down and gobble him up. “Serana, this is Babette. She’s an old friend. A really, really old friend. She’s a vampire as you can see and also an assassin. And she calls everyone a dear. Babette, this is Serana. She’s very close to me and of royal vampire blood. We’re on a mission to stop an insane vampire from destroying the sun or something. But why did you have to come over and say hello, Babette? You know I’d stop by the sanctuary eventually.”

Serana frowned. “What sanctuary?”

“The Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, of course. Jotunn is our Listener.” Babette chimed in. 

Jotunn smacked his forehead. “Damn it, Babette! She didn’t need to know that!”

Serana grunted. “So let me get this straight: you’re the leader of the Thieve’s Guild, the Thane to just about every hold in Skyrim, the Harbinger of the Companions, as well as the Listener for the Dark Brotherhood?” She’s heard of the Brotherhood since her time out of the monolith. A band of assassins supposedly responsible for who knows how many deaths.”

Jotunn coughed. “And the Archmage of the College of Winterhold and well...I have a lot of titles and I have a hand in a lot of things, alright? And I didn’t intend to join the Brotherhood. My only intention was killing an evil old crime abusing some orphans. If I had known killing her would have set me on the path to become the Listener, then I would have just knocked her out or something.”

Babette snickered. “You’ve been some Listener lately. I would have left you two alone to rut under the trees if you had visited more often. But I missed my favorite assassin so here I am.”

“You’re...an assassin?” Serana asked.

Jotunn sighed and took a step towards her. “Serana, listen.”

Instead of being upset or afraid like he thought she’d be, Serana grinned and her legs twitched. “Is it bad I’m oddly more attracted to you now?”

Jotunn stared at her while Babette laughed. “You need help.”

Babette clutched her stomach as she doubled over in laughter. “No wonder you’re with her! She’s hilarious! She has my approval.”

“I don’t need or want your approval.” Huffed Serana. 

“Too bad, dear. You already have it. Now you keep an eye on Jottun, okay? He has a knack for getting into trouble. And Jottun? It was nice to see you again, but I’m sure you two don’t want me hanging around so I’ll be on my way. Don’t forget to send a letter to the sanctuary from time to time to let everyone know you’re still alive! Ta!” Babette said before skipping away happily. As she left, Serana looked over at Jotunn, who was doing his best to will himself invisible. 

Jotunn coughed. “We should uh, keep moving.” 

“So are there any other groups you are a part of that I should about?” Asked Serana as they continued walking. 

“A couple, but they aren’t important.”

“Jotunn…”

He sighed exasperatedly. “Fine. I’m technically part of the Stormcloaks and the Bards College in Solitude. But that’s it. I swear.”

Serana snickered, covering her mouth. “Hold on. You’re a  _ bard _ ? You?”

Jotunn frowned. “Yes, me.”

“Do you even know how to sing or play an instrument?”

“Not at all. Honestly, I didn’t even want to join. I wandered into the college thinking it was a good place to steal from, was asked to find some old poems lost in a crypt, and then was initiated as a member the moment I returned. There was next to nothing of value in that entire building so it ended up being a complete waste of time and energy.”

Serana snorted. “It’s a good thing you didn’t stick around to hone your singing. You’d make a terrible bard.”

Jotunn chuckled and made a ‘there you go’ gesture. “See? That’s what I tried to tell the college!”

After reaching Falkreath and buying a few choice items, the two continued on, following the trail that would take them to the Reach. They walked for several more hours before finally making camp off the path. After a light dinner, they laid back against a tree and relaxed. Jottun even took his armor off to let it air out a bit. 

“So...That Babette was a character.” Serana said after a few minutes of comfortable silence had passed. “How did she get that close without either of us noticing her?” 

Jotunn shrugged as he reached up and slapped a low hanging branch away from his head. “I’ve been asking myself that for as long as I’ve known her. She may be blunt and odd, but there’s no one alive or dead that can move quite like her. I don’t know if she moves too fast for our senses to catch or she’s just good at masking her movements, but if she doesn’t want to be noticed then she doesn’t get noticed.”

Serana hummed. “You sound like you admire her.”

Jotunn nodded. “Of course. I wish I could be as stealthy as she is. I’m good, but she’s on another level. Can you imagine how much I could steal if I was as silent as she is? I’d be unstoppable.”

Serana chuckled. “And can you imagine what the people would say if they knew the famous Dragonborn was a petty thief at heart?”

Jotunn whipped his head around excitedly, gleaming at her. “That would be so fun! It’d be so much harder to get away with stealing and so much more satisfying when I do.”

Serana smiled despite her best efforts not to. His childish enthusiasm about thieving was endearing. Almost too endearing. 

Jotunn grinned at her before she suddenly punched his arm. He winced and rubbed his now sore arm. “Ow?”

“That was for making me like you more.” 

Jotunn blinked. “If I get bruises every time I make you like me more, then I think I’m going to try and make you like me less.”

Serana smiled innocently at him. “Then I’ll just hit you anyway because I’d like you less.”

Jotunn frowned. “Rude.”

The vampire raised her eyes. “I’m only rude because you’re rubbing off on me. Don’t say it.”

Jotunn laughed, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Say what? I wasn’t going to say a thing.”

“Yes you were. I could tell.”

“And what was I going to say?”

“Something crude and inappropriate, most likely.”

“You must know me well then.”

“I do my best.”

Jotunn grinned as he kissed her neck. Serana sighed quietly, tilting her head and allowing him access to more of her neck. “And what might you be up to?” She breathed.

“Me? Nothing at all.”

Serana smiled, enjoying the touch of his lips on her skin. “Uh huh. Hmm. You’re definitely up to something.”

Jotunn slowly kissed his way down to her shoulder. One of his hands came to rest on her thighs, which she parted ever so slightly. Her arms draped around his side, her hands clutching his back as he kissed further down. Reaching the top of her cleavage, he kissed her gently, hearing her breathing quicken. Her fingers dig into the nose of his back as he kissed the top of one breast and then the other. 

“You know something, Jotunn? I was trapped, asleep in that crypt for centuries. With no contact from anyone all that time.” She said with a sigh. Her legs were starting to quiver as his hand explored them. His only response was to grunt. “I was stuck in that monolith with no one to  _ satisfy  _ my desires for a very long time.”

Jotunn hummed, sending shivers across Serana’s skin. “My, my. That is a very long time to go without a release. Should we rectify that?” He asked before suddenly nipping at the skin of her left breast.

Serana gasped, her hands shooting up to grab onto his head, keeping him by her breasts. Which he would have stayed by even had she not been holding him there. “Jotunn.”

He looked up at her, his steel gaze full of lust and admiration. She nodded once and he knew what she was asking. What they both needed. He smiled at her, looking exactly like a wolf right before it finishes off its prey. “Gladly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I hope I’m doing the buildup to this pairing justice haha. Scenes like that aren’t my strong suit but I still hope you all liked it. More to come next chapter! Until then! And be safe :)


	30. People Person

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana seal the deal, as it were. Jotunn learns a lesson in conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty then, thanks for the patience! I had a bit of writers block for this chapter (mainly for the early bit of it) so that’s why it’s taken a while to finish. Anyway, here’s a sex scene haha and obviously: mature content ahead

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Jotunn uttered a low growl as he nibbled on Serana’s breasts, his teeth just barely grazing her nipples and sending shivers throughout her entire body. His hands slunk down to rub against her inner thighs. She arched her back slightly and sighed quietly. Jottun smirked as he kissed her left nipple. If someone had told him a year ago that one day he’d end up doing this with a vampire, he’d have laughed before he Shouted them off a cliff. But here he was, getting dangerously close to sleeping with a vampire. Only he didn’t care. Serana was...special. She was strong and intelligent and she didn’t put up with any of his foolishness which he thought was incredible. She could keep up with his humor and teasing. She wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions or thoughts and she was constantly telling him how big an idiot he was. She was beautiful while still being cute, no matter what she did. And perhaps most importantly, she didn’t care that he was the Dragonborn. In fact, she could use a little more reverence about it. But that was great in his mind: she knew who he was and she never fawned over him about it. She liked Jotunn and not just Jotunn the Dragonborn. Plus, she could probably knock him out with one punch if she really wanted and any person able to do that was well worth keeping. 

He swirled his tongue around her breast, almost tickling it as he gently nibbled on it. Serana hummed before fidgeting. “Are you going to give roses to my nipples or are you going to bite them?”

Jotunn frowned, caught off guard by her question. “I’m sorry, what?” 

Serana rolled her eyes at him. “Are we going to fuck or are you just going to keep that foreplay stuff up the entire time, is what I’m asking. Because if you need a reminder: centuries. Centuries, Jotunn.”

Jotunn grinned. “Maybe lead with that next time.”

“We’re already talking about next ti—.” Serana was cut off when Jotunn suddenly bit down, nearly breaking skin. A moan escaped her as she held onto him, her arms wrapping around him like a snake. All she could focus on was the pleasure mixed with pain he was giving her. Her senses were already inhuman but now, it was like she was more attuned with her senses than ever. Ever touch, every sound, every smell, every sensation was amplified beyond imagining. Never before had she felt so much for one person. 

Serana couldn’t help but smile. She’d been alive for countless years and during all that time, she’d slept with many different people. But they had all merely been there when she was in the mood. There hadn’t been many partners that she had felt a genuine attraction to. When you live that long, serious relationships were silly; why set yourself up for heartbreak when the other person inevitably dies after all? But Jotunn was different. She was physically attracted to him, sure. How could she not be with his humor filled kind eyes and rugged chin and lean form? But she was also emotionally attracted to him; he was perhaps the first friend she’d ever had, plus, she felt a strong bond with him. One that she couldn’t quite explain. All she knew was that she yearned for him on a level she didn’t know existed before now. 

After what felt like hours of bliss, Serana pulled Jotunn up from her chest to kiss him. She could hear his heart beating, a loud almost excited thump. He rose just enough to give each other space and then as if by magic, they were both nude, their skin glistening under the moonlight. With one swift motion, they delved into their lust blindly and madly, with no regard for anything else going on around them. For now, it was just them. No one and nothing else mattered in that moment. And with their combined heightened senses, it was as if they were one body. One writhing body feeling every crevice, every scratch, every thrust, every inch of skin. One body hearing every small sigh, every gasp and moan, every guttural growl and quiet hum. One body smelling every scent enveloping. Every taste of their lips or skin or groin. Each seeing the reactions of the other and seeing every minute detail of each other’s body. 

Jotunn looked down at the woman underneath him who looked back up at him, smiling at him as if he was the only other person in the world. Normally he would be on high alert, especially since they were out in the wildness. It would be stupid of him not to be as there was always some excuse to be on alert and to keep his guard up. He never let his guard down, always expecting some sort of fight even among friends. It came with growing up on the streets. On the streets of Riften, if you weren’t expecting some sort of attack or theft, you died or went hungry. And that type of thinking didn’t go away when he grew up, much less when he became the Dragonborn. In fact, that mindset had grown as there seemed to always be some looming threat of destruction hanging over him. But now, he was only focused on Serana, her needs and desires. He could truly let his guard down with her without fear of being stabbed in the back. It was something that would take time to truly get used to, but for now, it was just Serana and him. Right now, she was the only thing that mattered. 

Serana moaned softly into his ear as her fingernails dragged across his back. He’d only realize later that her scratching had drawn blood. And the moment the scent of his exposed blood hit her nostrils, she trembled, whispering, “Gods your blood smells so good.”

Jotunn chuckled. Before he could reply, Serana leaned in and he felt her bite his neck, just below his ear. He grunted, flinching. Not in pain—she didn’t bite down hard enough to cause any real damage—but in surprise. He paused, unsure of what he should do as he felt her fangs prod into his neck. A light trickle of blood came out of the small punctures, which she drank from eagerly. Jotunn peered his eyes. He imagined that if she’d wanted to really drink his blood, then she would have bitten down a lot harder and actually sunk her teeth into him. What she had done was more of an aggressive love bite that happened to draw some blood, almost as if she was simply tasting him like he was a glass of wine. He mentally shrugged. Chances are the blood from her scratches made her want to see what his blood was and so she just went for it. That, or it was a decision based off of how turned on she was. Either way, he didn’t mind. Oddly enough, it almost excited him. Which was something he decided in that moment to never, ever reveal to her. No need to make it a regular occurance. He mentally shrugged and continued, keeping a rough but steady rhythm.

After several minutes, Serana pulled away from his neck, breathing heavily. A couple drops of his blood stained her lips and her fangs. 

Jotunn smiled down at her and brushed a loose sweaty strand of hair out of her face before his fingers trailed down to gently grip her throat. Groaning, she raised her neck, giving him more access as he squeezed. Her legs wrapped around his lower torso, her feet licking together as she let out a quiet sigh. Her hands slid up to rest over his, pushing them harder against her throat. Jotunn smiled, leaning down to kiss her brow as picked up his pace. Arching her back, her body quivered as she gasped and moaned out. Whimpering, she trembled almost violently. Hearing her sounds of bliss, threw him over the edge as well and he slid out with a low grunt, his legs shaking slightly as he collapsed beside her. It was only then that they noticed the sun peeking out from behind the trees around them. 

Serana inched closer to Jotunn, nestling her head against his side as he turned to her, draping an arm lazily over her body. She put an arm under his and started absentmindedly tracing a few of his larger scars as well as the scratches she’d just made. 

Serana breathed contentedly. “That was...I’m sorry. I should have asked if I could bite you.”

Jotunn nearly choked. “This your idea of pillow talk? I don’t care if you didn’t ask. As long as you aren’t trying to bite my throat off, I’m good.”

“I still should have asked. I just...I was caught up in the moment and it felt right and…”

Jotunn snickered. “I didn’t ask if I could choke you. So I say we’re even. Now let it go; it happened. All of that happened.”

Serana smirked against his side. “It did. Consider my appetite sated in that regard. I’m surprised you were able to keep up with me, honestly.”

Jotunn chuckled, giving her a slight squeeze. “Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“I don’t know. It may have been.”

Jotunn smiled. “Careful now Serana, or you’ll end up loving me.”

Serana snorted. “As if. I’m just using you for your body. Even a vampire builds up a lot of lust after centuries alone.”

“Using me, huh? I think I’m able to live with that.”

Serana snuggled closer to him, showing a soft side not often seen. “You better be able to.”

“You smell like a wet dog.”

Jotunn blinked and looked over at Serana as they walked along the road, about a week away from Markarth. It had been raining since early morning and didn’t show any sign of letting up . Despite this, they continued walking. A little rain didn’t bother them that much. 

“I always smell like a wet dog. How is now any different?” Jotunn asked with a snicker. 

Serana shrugged, the action causing some built up water on her hood to splash off. It made Jotunn glad for his mask. “Well then you extra smell like a wet dog now.”

“Okay. So?”

“I don’t know, I was just trying to make conversation.”

Jotunn laughed. “And insulting me and my smell seemed like conversation to you?”

Serana peered at him from under her hood. “We’re conversing, aren’t we?”

Jotunn shook his head, still chuckling. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. Though, most people comment on the weather or their surroundings when trying to make conversation.”

Serana snorted. “That’d be a short conversation then: ‘What do you think of the weather? It’s rainy.’ There. Conversation over with. Don’t roll your eyes at me.”

Jotunn grunted, a bit surprised.  _ How’d she know I was rolling my eyes? I’m wearing my Nightingale hood.  _

“Alright. We can scratch out weather. What are your thoughts on the Reach, then?” 

Serana huffed. “I don’t like it. This land feels...twisted. Like the land itself doesn’t want us here. I’m surprised my father didn’t want to live here honestly; he’d love this place. Rocks and valley, crevices and hiding places. And I’m assuming loads of hermits and fanatics for him to enslave and feed on. It’s my father’s dream land.”

Jottun snickered then groaned when he stepped into a puddle that was deeper than he thought. “You assume correctly. You don’t have to look long to find some lunatic camping out in these hills. In my early days as Dragonborn, I hated it here. There were too many crazy bandits and the like. Not to mention crazy Forsworn. Thankfully, the number of encounters with folk like that have dwindled the last few times I’ve been in this area.”

Serana pursed her lips. “That’s too bad. I would have liked a good fight. Even a one sided one.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and run into a hagraven.” Jotunn said sarcastically.

Serana grinned. “At least things wouldn’t be dull then.”

Jotunn paused, feigning insult. “Now you’re saying traveling with me is dull? Oh how you wound me, dear Serana!”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She said, a little too deadpanned.

“Uh huh.”

She laughed and nudged him. “Anyway, how long do you think until we reach Markarth? I’m curious to see this dwarven made city I keep hearing about.”

Jotunn shook the foot that had stepped into the puddle which was now soaked and making a squishy sound every time he stepped. “Probably close to a week. We’ll relax there for a day or so before moving on to this Darkfall Cave. The Elder Scroll showed me it was close to the Orc stronghold, Mor Khazgur. If need be, we can ask around the stronghold to see if anyone there knows what to expect. I have a few friends there that might know about the cave.”

Serana laughed. “You sure do have quite a lot of friends. Especially ones that just  _ happen  _ to know about caves we need to find.”

Jotunn shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a people person.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I tried to do the sex scene differently than what I normally do and focus more on the thoughts and feelings instead of just the sex. So I hope I did a decent job and that it wasn’t too different. Next chapter will either jump right into Darkfall cave or be in Markarth. I haven’t decided yet haha. Either way, until next time! And stay safe! :)


	31. A Stroll Through Markarth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana relax and have some fun in Markarth and definitely don’t get drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is a somewhat shorter chapter that’s all fun and games

CHAPTER THIRTY

Jotunn shushed Serana harshly as she closed the door to Vlindrel Hall a little too loudly. The two had arrived at Markarth not ten minutes earlier and after the long trip, they just wanted to unwind in Jotunn’s house. It was late in the evening so they’d do their shopping the next day. The only problem with that plan was Jotunn’s housecarl. 

“Be quiet!” Hissed Jotunn. “Argis is dangerous. If he hears that I’m back, there’ll be trouble for sure.”

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of your own housecarl?” Serana scoffed.

Jotunn nodded frantically. “Afraid? I’m terrified of him. When we get together, bad things end up happening. We have to do everything within our power to make sure he doesn't know we’re here.” 

Jotunn took the lead, going deeper into the house on his toes, ever so careful not to make any loud noises. Serana rolled her eyes and simply walked past him. Jotunn gasped inaudibly and threw his hands up, panicked. “What are you doing? You’ll damn us both!” Jotunn whispered. 

Serana shrugged. “Quit being such a baby. You don’t have to sneak around in your own blasted house.”

Jotunn nearly jumped when he heard Argis’ voice coming from the center dining room. “Who’s that?”

Jotunn shook his hands, a clear sign for Serana to freeze. Instead, she kept walking. “It’s the Dragonborn and his guest.” She said matter of factly. Jotunn cursed. If she hadn’t said anything they might have been able to retreat and just stay at the inn, but now that Argis knew they were there, they were trapped inside. He steadied his breathing. He knew what was coming. He may as well face his fate with some courage. 

Jotunn followed Serana out into the center hall of the house where Argis was rising from his chair, a hand on the hilt of his sword. He calmed down instantly once he saw Jotunn, a huge grin splitting his features. “Jotunn! I thought I smelled the scent of cowardice!”

Jotunn groaned and waved. “Hello, Argis. As you can see, I’m back. This is Serana. I hope Lydia mentioned her in her letters?”

Argis nodded eagerly. “Oh yeah, she did mention a vampire bitch was traveling around with you. I never thought she was serious though,” He turned to Serana and gave her a small bow. “If Jotunn vouches for you then that’s good enough for me. Well met, Serana.”

Serana grunted. She hadn’t been expecting a welcome like that. She looked Argis over. He was clearly a nord, that much was obvious by his solid form. He had long, messy blonde hair and a light beard. He was blind in his left eye and had red face paint on the right side of his face. He wore steel armor that looked like it hadn’t been washed in a while. And judging from the smell and the several empty bottles on the table, Argis was drunk. Which surprised Serana. For some reason, she had this assumption that all of Jotunn’s housecarls were professional and not heavy drinkers. It made a certain kind of sense seeing how Jotunn was a big drinker and so she imagined he’d have his housecarls not be in order to even each other out. 

“Um, thank you.”

Argis grinned and plopped back down at the table, smacking the seat beside him. Jotunn shook his head immediately. “Oh, no. Not this time, Argis. Me and the lady have had a long journey and all we want to do right now is relax in my room.”

Even before he finished his sentence, Argis was laughing. “What a load of horse shit! There’s no journey long enough to make you tired and we both know it! Besides, there’s no relaxing if you and a lady are involved, vampire or not. So come on and sit down. You can ‘relax’ with a quick drink or three.”

Jotunn took a step back. “Not tonight, I’m afraid.” He said before groaning as Serana took a seat at the table. “Why not? It isn’t too late. We may as well have a pleasant quick drink before we call it a night. Figuratively speaking of course. After all, I’ve had enough sleep to last a lifetime.”

Argis slammed his fist down on the table. “Aye! See, that’s the spirit! Come on Jotunn, even your vampire friend wants to drink something that isn’t blood! How often does that happen?”

Jottun frowned. “Argis, you do remember what happened last time we drank together right?”

Argis shrugged, chuckling. “Ahh, the blood stains came out, didn’t they? And Endon eventually recovered so I see no problems. Come on! Don’t be a coward. Or are you afraid I’ll outdrink you again?”

Jotunn’s eye twitched. “You haven’t once.”

Argis grinned, knowing full well that Jotunn has given in. Like many of Jotunn’s friends, he knew that the moment Jotunn’s ability at anything was questioned, he’d have to prove himself superior. And this instance was no different. “Really? Then how come I’ve drank you under the table the last three times?”

Jotunn growled and sat down at the table, aggressively grabbing a bottle of ale and taking a huge swig from it. After a quick breath, he downed the rest of the bottle in record time. 

Serana eyed him cautiously. “Was there really cause to drink that so fast?”

Jottun wiped his mouth on his sleeve and nodded as he stared down Argis. “I have a lot of catching up to do if I’m going to outdrink this milkdrinker here.”

“Yess! There’s the Jotunn I know! May the best drinker win!” Roared Argis as he reached for another mug.

Serana blinked, watching as the two men proceeded to chug down as much alcohol as they possibly could. She shrugged. She may as well join in on the fun. She picked up a bottle and took a sip. Then instantly spat it out. 

“Ugh, that tastes terrible! How are you two drinking this filth?” She said, trying not to cough. “What even is that?” 

Argis gave a hearty laugh as he took the bottle from Serana’s hands and poured its contents into a mug. “That is nord mead. There’s nothing finer.”

Serana raised her eye. “Nothing finer? Blood from a decaying carcass tastes better than that bile.”

“Bile?” Jotunn exclaimed. “I’ll have you know that nord mead is one of my favorite drinks.”

Serana groaned. “Not you too. I thought your tastes were more refined than this, Jotunn.”

Jotunn grinned as he stole the mug from Argis and drank it. “My tastes are very refined; look at who I choose to spend my time with after all. My alcohol standards are just a little low.”

Argis chuckled and grabbed another bottle. “Which is Jotunn speech for, ‘I’m a hopeless alcoholic that’ll drink anything.’” 

Jottun went to defend himself then shrugged and took another sip. He didn’t bother defending himself because it was clearly true. If it was alcohol, chances are he’d drink it. Though now that he thought about it, he probably learned that habit from Snilf. If you grow up with Snilf looking after you then you end up getting a taste for any and all ale. It was only natural. 

“Alright, Jotunn. Biggest fight you’ve been in recently? Just last week I was out doing some hunting. Tracked this giant of a bear into a valley only to come across a group of bandits tracking it as well. And as I was fighting off the bandits, the bear came so I had to kill it on top of the bandits.” Argis bragged, his speech a little slurred. It was a wonder he wasn’t already falling over. 

Serana looked at Jotunn who wasn’t much better. The idiot had to have downed at least five bottle fulls of mead in the short time they’ve been drinking. 

Jotunn snickered. “I fought an undead dragon with a small army of undead at its disposal in the realm of souls recently. So yeah, I win.”

Serana cleared her throat and Jotunn quickly added, “Serana helped too.”

She snorted as he grinned and took another long sip. 

Argis clapped his hands. “I just thought of the best idea!”

Jotunn groaned. “Ugh, oh no. Your ideas are always horrible.”

“Shut your mouth. My ideas are great.”

“Then why do they all end with us nearly getting killed?”

“How should I know? That’s just how they end. Now I was thinking—.”

Jotunn laughed. “You were thinking? I didn’t know you were capable of thought.”

“If I wasn’t then how could I get the great ideas?” Argis retorted.

“Dumb luck?”

Argis jumped to his feet, his chair scraping against the stone floor. “Let me finish.”

Jotunn raised his mug. “Sit down before you hurt yourself you drunk bastard.”

“Why don’t you make me, milkdrinker?”

Jotunn stood up and still holding his mug, walked around the table and pushed Argis who retaliated with a push of his own. Both of them staggered before they started relentlessly pushing each other in an effort to make the other lose their already weak balance. Serana sighed and shook her head. Then she rose and easily pushed the ‘men’ back into their chairs. “I’ve had enough for one night. Jotunn, where’s your room? I’m going to go relax.”

Jotunn pointed to a room off to the side and Serana said her good nights before walking into the room and closing the door. She plopped down on a bed and leaned back against the headrest. She closed her eyes, lost in thought. 

_ I don’t see what all the fuss was about earlier. Argis isn’t scary; he’s just a normal Nord. And Jotunn was acting as if bad things were going to happen if they got together. Yeah, bad things are happening alright. They’re going to need to buy more mead tomorrow, oh no. Ugh. Men.  _

The sound of the front door closing suddenly shook her from her thoughts. She grunted. She hadn’t heard either Jotunn or Argis leave. 

“Jotunn?” She called out. No answer. 

Groaning, she got out of the bed and went out to the main hall. “Damn.” She said when she saw the mess. Several bottles of mead had spilled, forming a puddle around the table. A trail of mead led out towards the front door. The two drunks must have stepped in the puddle before walking away. Serana sighed in annoyance. Now she had to go find them before they did something extra stupid. 

_ Well Jotunn, I stand corrected.  _

She walked out of the building and looked around. Night had fallen and most people had already retired to their homes so thankfully there wasn’t a host of people out and about. She sniffed. While her nose wasn’t as good as Jotunn’s, it was still highly sensitive. There was a clear scent trail of mead leading away from the house and down the stone steps. The trail then swerved right and seemed to be heading in the direction of a big waterfall in the back of the city. 

Now of course, she could just shout Jotunn’s name and he’d hear her, but that didn’t mean he would come back in his drunken state. So she’d just have to retrieve the two idiots wherever they were. 

Serana walked down the steps, knowing that if she followed the scent of booze, she’d find them sooner or later. Making her way towards the waterfall, she nodded pleasantly to a guard keeping watch under the falls. She passed through the big gleaming doors the guard was standing by and stepped out into a big open hall, clearly dwarven by design. She turned left and kept following the trail which led her to a big cavern with guards patrolling. Off to the side was a small area with several tables full of dwarven scrap metal and the like. There, amidst all of the tables was Jotunn and Argis along with an older looking man wearing mage robes. At first glance it looked like they were simply conversing with the older man but as Serana neared, she quickly realized this wasn’t the case. 

“Please, Dragonborn. Be careful with those!” The old man yelled as Jotunn juggled two dwarven gyros which he of course dropped. Giggling, Jotunn picked up one of them and turned to the rest of the cavern. “I bet you both I can get this to the other side.”

The old man winced. “No, I’m studying that!”

Argis laughed. “I’m calling your bluff. You can’t throw it that far.”

Jotunn snickered and Shouted the gyro all the way across the cave, the gyro breaking upon impact with the far wall. “I didn’t say I was going to throw it.”

“Alright you drunk morons, time to get back to the house.” Serana snapped at them as she marched over. When Jotunn saw Serana, his face lit up and he excitedly turned to the others. 

“Oh! Calcelmo, this is Serana, my vampire lover buddy! We’ve slept together. Her tits are fantastic!” 

Calcelmo frowned while Argis gave a whoop. “You’re telling me you’ve slept with her? You ornery bastard, you! What’s it like fooling around with a vampire? 

Both fuming and incredibly embarrassed, Serana quickly stepped up to Jotunn and punched him in the head, knocking him out. Jotunn crumpled to the floor and before Argis could react, Serana knocked him out too. She turned to the old man Calcelmo and bowed her head slightly. “I apologize on their behalf; they’re both drunken fools that I thought would be okay without my guidance. Unfortunately for your dwarven thing, I was mistaken. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take these two idiots home. Have a nice night.” 

Calcelmo huffed as Serana threw Argis over her shoulder. She then started dragging Jotunn behind her as she made her way back towards the house. What would have taken her only ten minutes, ended up taking close to an hour as she had to get past the guards without looking suspicious. Something very difficult to do when she was lugging around an unconscious Argis and Dragonborn. Somehow, she made it back to Vlindrel Hall without getting stopped by a guard or passerby. She dropped Argis on what she assumed to be his bed in a side bedroom and then dragged Jotunn into his room. She left him on the floor, with his body splayed out randomly. She then stretched and got back into his bed. They’d been on the road a while and she was going to take every chance she could to relax in a real bed instead of up against a log or boulder. 

Leaning back into some pillows, she crossed her arms behind her head and shut her eyes. Not wanting a repeat, she stayed more alert than earlier. 

Serana stayed there until morning when she heard Argis wake up. She was about to leave the room and go say hello when Jotunn stirred. Serana snickered as Jotunn groaned.

Jotunn untwisted himself and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. “Ughh...My head…” He muttered. He looked around, clearly confused as to how he got into his room. 

“You had a busy night last night.” Serana said sternly. Jotunn turned towards her, groaning from the sudden movement. 

“Busy night? What happened?”

Serana snorted, moving to sit cross legged on the edge of the bed. “You and Argis drank way too much and decided to make a midnight visit to some old guy named Calcelmo in, I think the Keep. You Shouted at the poor man’s dwemer junk. Then I found you.”

Jotunn nodded, grimacing as he rubbed his back. “And why does my back feel like I rubbed it against gravel?”

“Because I had to drag your unconscious ass back here before someone noticed a vampire standing over the Dragonborn.”

Jotunn blinked. “Wait, why was I unconscious? Did I pass out from drinking too much? That doesn't normally happen.”

Serana chuckled as she stood up and patted him on the head. “Because you told Calcelmo and Argis you slept with me and almost told them what it was like to have sex with me.”

Jotunn flinched and looked away. “See? I told you bad things happen when I’m with Argis. But wait, if you dragged us home, why am I on the floor instead of the bed?”

Serana laughed. “Simple. That's because you told Argis I had ‘fantastic tits.’” She said before walking out of the room. 

Serana left him there nursing his hangover, wishing that a dragon would break through the ceiling and eat him. He blinked. “Oh. Fair enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Just a short fun one. Next chapter will be Darkfall Cave and I have some (I think) interesting plans for it hehe. Until next time! Stay safe :)


	32. So...Who’s First?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serana and Jotunn enter Darkfall Cave and explore its depths. All goes well until they have to jump. Then things get weird

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okie dokie thanks for waiting! It took a little bit to get this one the way I pictured it haha. But hey, a decent long chapter

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE 

Jotunn growled as he stared into the cave entrance. If it could even be called that. It was more of just a tiny crack in the mountainside than it was a proper entrance. And it was so random, it was as if it had just appeared out of the rocks without any warning. He didn’t like it. The entrance gave him an uneasy feeling, one he wasn’t accustomed to feeling. He’d seen it in his vision, but now that he was standing before it...

“What are you growling about now?” Serana asked him as he paused by the entrance to Darkfall Cave. They’d left Markarth and after a couple weeks camping out in the wilderness and a quick stay with some less than helpful Orcs, they had found the cave. But instead of just heading right in, Jotunn had insisted they wait a few days before they explored it. 

He grunted as he studied the crack in the rocks. “I don’t like this. This place makes me nervous and I don’t quite know why,” He sniffed, wrinkling his nose. “It doesn’t smell right either.”

Serana snickered. “Nothing smells right to you. It’s fine; it’s just another cave. And don’t worry. I’ll hold your hand if you’re afraid.” 

Jotunn glared at her. “I’m not afraid. I’m cautious.”

Serana gave a chuckle as she walked up to the entrance. “It’s okay to be afraid of a cave, I’m not judging you at all.”

Jotunn’s eye twitched as he followed her, mumbling under his breath. He’d be damned if he showed how nervous he was. He shook his head.  _ Damn it, Jotunn. You’re the Dragonborn! Act like it. _

Still grumbling, he followed Serana into the cave, squeezing through the crack in the wall and stepping out into a dark tunnel. Moss clung to the walls, making it somehow darker. Ahead, Jotunn could hear the sound of water hitting rock. A single torch sconce was wedged into the rock further along the tunnel. It was the only source of light for a while from what he could see. He glared at Serana as she stood, waiting for him. 

She grinned, her fangs on display. “That’s my brave mutt! Face your fears.”

Jotunn growled at her angrily to which she merely chuckled and led the way deeper into the cave. Unlike him, she wasn’t nervous. To her, a cave was a cave no matter how odd it may or may not smell. 

They followed a winding tunnel, past a small stream of water falling from a hole in the roof of the cave. As they walked, Jotunn couldn’t shake off his nerves. There was just something about the cave that made him uneasy. Like it was more dangerous than it seemed. 

He shook his head. Serana had to be right. He was simply being paranoid. He’d been in countless caves just like this one. There was no need to get trapped in his head about it. Though, he had to admit it was a little strange that Auriel’s Bow would be in some average cave. Somehow, he had been expecting it to be in a place more flashy and impressive than a cave. 

“Good thing we can both see in the dark.” Serana commented as they walked along. 

Jotunn nodded. The deeper they got, the darker it seemed to get. If they had normal eyesight, he’d bet that they wouldn’t be able to see very far without some sort of torch to help them. And there was definitely a lack of torches in the place. 

After a few more minutes of walking, they came to a rickety bridge suspended over a sheer drop. On the other side of the drop was a torch sconce and a broken table. The bridge was missing several planks and had a rope handrail on the right side, but not the left side. Even at first glance, it looked precarious. 

Jotunn snorted. “I’ve seen ancient crumbling walkways that looked more stable than that pathetic excuse of a bridge.” He said as he peered over the ledge. He couldn’t see the bottom of the drop, even with his eyes. But he could hear the sound of rushing water coming from far, far below them. He wasn’t going to begin to guess how far below them and he wasn’t in any hurry to find out the answer. 

“So how do we get across without breaking the bridge and falling?” Serana. 

Jotunn chuckled. “Very, very carefully. And one at a time. I doubt that thing could bear the weight of a child let alone the two of us at once.”

Serana smirked at him. “Why, that sounds like a volunteer to go first to me. What a gentleman!”

Jotunn shrugged and Serana noticed too late that he was grinning. Without warning, Jotunn Shouted, “WULD NAH KEST!” In a blink, he propelled himself across the bridge without ever even touching it. He turned around and waved at her from across the bridge. “Okay, your turn!”

“You—!” Hissed Serana, causing Jotunn to laugh. As she started to nervously and slowly cross the bridge, Jotunn looked around, taking note of something. There didn’t appear to be any side tunnels or pathways to keep following. There wasn’t a way forward that would take them farther into the cave. At least, none that he could see. 

Serana stepped onto solid ground and marched over to him. Jotunn, expecting what was coming next, had already tensed up muscles. Serana punched his arm twice, cursing at him. “You ass! You cocky little shit. You could have whirlwinded me over with you, but noo! You had to get your giggles for the day.”

Jotunn chuckled, rolling his arm. He swore, every time Serana punched him, she always ended up punching him in the same spot. “In my defense, you volunteered me to go first so I’m surprised you didn’t see that coming.”

She glared at him, clearly imagining stabbing him. “That’s not the point and you know it.”

Jotunn shrugged, which earned him another punch. “Oww! Stop hitting me!” He said, still chuckling.

Serana rolled her eyes. “Like I’ve said before, stop being a shit and I’ll stop punching you.”

Jotunn feigned a frown. “When have I ever been a shit?”

“Seriously? You were a shit approximately thirty-eight times this morning alone. And I’m not even going to start to count the total times you’ve been a shit since I first met you.”

Jotunn pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side as if he was thinking. Then he snickered. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Though if you think I’m a shit  _ now _ , then you should have seen me when I was a young Thieves Guild recruit.”

“I’m glad I didn’t. I can’t imagine a worse version of you.” 

Jotunn smiled. “Anyway, here’s something that’ll take your mind off of a worse me: the path stops here. There isn’t any hidden tunnel or anything.”

Serana frowned. “There’s always hidden tunnels or corridors in these places.”

“Well, I’m afraid this cave doesn’t,” Jotunn said. “Unless…” He moved to the edge of the drop and peered over. “You can hear the rushing water, too, right? Or am I imagining it?”

Serana moved to the edge and paused. “Yes, I can hear it too. So what?”

Jotunn grinned. “Bear with me, but I sense an idea coming.”

Serana snorted, crossing her arms. “Uh huh. This should be entertaining.”

Jotunn ignored her. “Maybe we aren’t supposed to keep moving forward. Maybe instead, we’re supposed to move down.”

Serana blinked at him. “Wait a moment, you aren’t suggesting we… Absolutely not! We can’t even see the bottom; we have no clue what’s down there. That rushing water we hear could just be an ankle high stream for all we know. What if we jump and there isn’t enough water to catch us?”

“I’m sure there is.” 

“And if there isn’t? What if we’re wrong?”

Jotunn winked at her, inching closer to the edge. “I’ll let you know if we are.” He said with a grin. And before Serana could react, Jotunn stepped off the edge and fell, giving a loud whoop as he plummeted down the dark hole. 

Wind flew past him as he dropped, sucking the breath out of him as he picked up speed. Wind stung his eyes and his body flailed around. Only then did it occur to him that he probably should have used Become Ethereal before he jumped. It actually annoyed him a little that he didn’t think to Shout ahead of time on the off chance he was wrong and there wasn’t a deep enough source of water at the bottom of the hole. Though he was reasonably sure there was. Reasonably. 

Forcing his eyes to stay open, he watched as a river of water was dramatically getting closer and closer. He hoped for his sake that it was deeper than it looked.  _ This is going to either hurt instantly for a long time or not at all.  _ He thought moments before he crashed into the water, sinking down a number of feet. Underwater currents propelled him forward, moving him this way and that as he grappled with the currents, struggling to reach the surface for air. His head broke the surface of the water and as he gasped for breath, saw what was ahead of him: more rapids. He fell over another drop, falling into another rushing waterway. However, this one wasn’t as deep as the previous one. Soon, it spit him out onto a calm brook. He hit the mushy ground, coughing up water. Half drowned, his nose was all sniffly. His ears too, were waterlogged, which dulled his senses. Blinking the water out of his eyes, he groaned and moved to his feet. He shook his head and looked around. 

The brook he’d fallen onto continued through a wide tunnel, leading to who knows where. A patch of glowing mushrooms was the only faint source of light. Behind and above him was the hole he’d come from with the water falling into a pool before easing off to become the brook. 

As he watched, Serana fell from the hole and into the pool, looking much like he imagined he had looked like when he fell. Only she was up and out of the water in seconds, leaping towards him and shoving him back. Jotunn steadied himself instantly, scowling at her. “What did I do now?” 

“Spiders coming behind me!” Hissed Serana. 

“Spiders? What spiders? I don’t smell any—. Oh,” Jotunn said, his scowl vanishing as five giant frostbite spiders clamored out of the hole. “Those spiders.” 

In a flash, the bugs were on them. Jotunn jumped out of the way of the mandibles of one, hugging the wall as he slipped his swords out of their sheaths. The closest spider leapt at him, venom dripping from its hairy pincers. Jotunn ducked under it and jammed a sword into its underbelly. Which seemed a good idea at the time before the inevitable blood and guts spilled out. Jotunn flinched and was just barely able to roll to the side, narrowly avoiding the mass of spider insides. In his haste to avoid the guts, however, he was suddenly within leaping range of the other spider. Which took the golden opportunity to lunge at him before he could get back on his feet. Jotunn dropped his swords and grappled with the spider’s legs as it barreled down on him. Buried under a mass of hairy legs and big piercing mandibles, he struggled to keep the spider at bay. He moved his head to the side to dodge a blow from one of its legs. Then his hands shot up to grab hold of it’s pincers right before they could close around his head. Keeping them away from his face, he cursed and pushed back, flames coating his hands. He forced the spider’s head back even as he engulfed it in a turrent of fire. It screeched and moved back frantically before it collapsed to the ground, smoldering. 

Jotunn reached for his swords as he jumped back to his feet, ready for the next spider. But none came. He looked around to check on Serana now that the fight was over. Serana stood a ways away, snickering to herself as she watched him. Three spiders lay dead at her feet, each with a single spike of ice through its head. 

“You know you could have helped get the damn thing off me.” Jotunn muttered. 

Serana smirked. “I could have. But it’s far more entertaining to watch. And besides, you wouldn’t be much of a Dragonborn if you couldn’t kill a couple spiders by yourself.”

Jotunn growled. He hadn’t needed help, but it would have been comforting to know that it was there. “It’s nice to see that you care if a spider bites me.”

Serana smiled at him as she stepped over the carcasses. “Aww, did I hurt your feelings?”

Jotunn held his head high, sniffing. His sense of smell still hasn’t recovered from his tumble in the water. “That’s preposterous; I don’t have feelings.”

Serana laughed and looked around. “I’m glad we weren’t wrong about the water up there.”

“The alternative would have been messy, that’s for sure. Still, we should be careful. Having to jump down a big hole to advance in a cave system is new territory for me. Which should say something considering that adventuring through caves is kind of my thing.” Jotunn said. 

“Don’t worry. We can go slow if it’s your first time exploring a cave hole.” When Jotunn stared at her, she grinned. “What? I can make innuendoes too.” 

Jotunn merely shook his head in response and followed as Serana led the way further into the cave. Which got darker and darker the deeper they went. Obviously caves are dark but it still made Jotunn uneasy. Most caves weren’t  _ this  _ dark.  _ Even the Twilight Sepulcher was brighter than this place.  _

They followed the stream which led them through winding tunnels. If not for their heightened sense of sight, they’d have been fumbling around in the dark for who knows how long. But with their eyes, they made good time, soon coming upon a camp of sorts. It was nestled at the bottom of a sloped crossroads. Two bedrolls and a bloodied chest sat around a small campfire. It’s ashes still burned faintly, providing the first real light in the cave. A splash of dried blood was further up the slope to their right. 

Serana knelt by the bedroll. “These people were...why would anyone want to set up camp here? I wonder what happened to them.”

“Nothing good.” 

Jotunn knelt by the chest and brought out his lockpicks. He got to work unlocking the chest. It took him all of twenty seconds to hear the satisfying click of the lock breaking. Opening the chest, he rummaged around for any loose valuables. Whoever owned the chest clearly wasn’t coming back for it. He found a note inside the chest and after glancing through it, he grunted and rose. “They thought they could live peacefully with trolls. So my guess is they’re dead. Trolls can barely be trained not to kill everything on sight let alone be peaceful enough to be neighbors.”

Serana glared at him. “Could you at least try to show some compassion? And honestly, why do you insist on going through every chest we come across?”

Jotunn grunted. “I’m being compassionate by not letting their coin go to waste in a cave. Plus, looting is half the fun of adventuring. It’s common knowledge.” 

Serana rolled her eyes. “Leave it to a thief to twist looting into something that doesn’t sound as bad.”

Jotunn shrugged as they continued, following the trail of blood up the slopes tunnel. “It’s what I do.”

Letting Serana keep her lead, he took the opportunity to sneak a few glances at her swaying hips as she walked. For perhaps the hundredth time, he found himself smiling at the chances that he’d become smitten with a vampires like this.  _ If Snilf knew I was eying up a vampire...oh, he’d be furious. He’d be stabbing that practice dummy for days. _

“Quit staring at my ass.” Serana said, drawing him from his thoughts. 

Jotunn coughed and averted his gaze as if she could see out of the back of her head. “Er...Sorry.” 

She gave a light snicker and walked faster, swaying her hips exaggeratedly. 

Jotunn sighed. Now she was just teasing him. However, he didn’t mind. 

“Stop.” 

Jotunn blinked as Serana suddenly came to a halt before a bend in the tunnel. “I wasn’t looking that time.” He protested. 

“No, I mean stop walking. I can hear trolls nearby.”

“Oh well you could have just said—.”

“Shh!” Serana hissed at him. 

Jotunn clamped his jaw shut but he was smiling. She could be very bossy when she wanted to be. 

Quietly, they rounded the corner and stepped out into a large open cavern. The cavern was the darkest part of the cave system they’d seen so far. The only source of light was a small fire on the far side of the cavern. Next to the light was a structure of some kind with what appeared to be a sun symbol on top of it. Between them and the light were several pools of water and rocky spires. To their left, picking at the bones of the owners of the camp they’d found earlier, were three trolls. 

Determined to make up for his embarrassing moment with the giant frostbite spiders, Jotunn stepped forward, as quiet as a cat stalking its prey. Without warning, he Shouted. “YOL TOOR!” The troll closest to him almost instantly died as a wave of powerful flames washed over it. The moment the words had left his lips, Jotunn was off running. He reached the other trolls which had turned to face him. He nearly tackled one to the mucky floor as he sank his blades into its chest before it could fight back. Then, he jumped up and stepped to the side to dodge a swipe from the last pissed off troll. Dancing around the next lunge, he swung his sword and took the troll’s head clean off. The head landed with a light thud followed by the body. Spinning around and sheathing his swords, Jotunn gave a bow in Serana’s direction. 

“How’d I do? Was that Dragonborn enough for you?” 

She grinned, looking rather pleased with herself. “Heh. I really touched a nerve with you, didn’t I? Who knew your pride was that vulnerable.”

Jotunn groaned, giving up. Clearly, he wasn’t going to win with her any time soon. 

Begrudgingly, he followed her through the cavern, the murky pools of water making their shoes all soggy. As they got closer to the fire and the structure, they could see a man standing beside it. He was tall, with pale skin and almost white hair. He had yellow eyes that looked ageless and his ears were pointed; the telltale sign that he was an elf. Only he didn’t look like any elf Jotunn had seen. The pale elf wore fancy armor that matched his complexion. He carried no weapons. 

“What is that structure? I can feel some kind of power to it...Whatever it is.” Serana whispered to Jotunn. 

As they neared, the elf gave a deep bow. “Come forward. You have nothing to fear here.” Even his voice sounded ageless, if not somewhat raspy. Like he hadn’t spoken in many years. 

They stepped up to the elf who looked almost happy to see them. Jotunn narrowed his eyes, unsure what to make of the strange looking elf. The pale elf bowed once more to them. 

“I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor. Welcome to the Great Chantry of Auri-El.” 

Jotunn snorted. “ _ This  _ cave is a temple to Auriel? Some temple. Couldn’t get enough donations to spice things up a bit? Maybe hang some moss up to give it some character?”

Serana elbowed him. “I’m sorry, did you say Auriel?”

Gelebor nodded. “Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh...so many different names for the sovereign of the snow elves.”

Jotunn snickered. “So what, you’re a Falmer? You’re less feral and blind to be a Falmer.”

Gelebor grimaced. “I am. Though I prefer snow elf. The name ‘Falmer’ usually holds a negative meaning to most travelers. Those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the ‘Betrayed.’ A sad fate for my people.”

Jotunn blinked. The elf was being serious. Which meant two things: either he was mad and only thought himself to be a Falmer, or he was telling the truth and he really was a snow elf. If he was telling the truth then the implications alone were incredible. It would explain his appearance, however. He did look rather snowy. 

Serana nodded, putting her hands on her hips. Jotunn glanced at her. She was taking this history shattering news well. Though now that he thought about it, she’d received a lot of enormous news about the state of the world recently so some news about snow eves probably wasn’t such a big thing to her. 

“I imagine you know why we’re here, then?” She asked. 

Gelebor nodded and crossed his arms. “Of course,” He said without a moment of hesitation. “You’re here for Auriel’s Bow. Why else would you be here? I can help you get it, but first I must have your assistance.”

Jotunn groaned. He knew what was coming next. It always went the same way with these things. “Alright. This is the part where you say we have to perform some menial task for you like retrieve some pointless item or kill some ancient horror or something before you fully agree to help us. Then we’ll go get said pointless item, come back here, and you’ll take it and then try and take Auriel’s Bow before we can get it. Then we’ll have to track you down and kill you.”

Both Gelebor and Serana stared at him. While Gelebor looked startled, Serana looked a little concerned. “How many times did something like that happen to you?” 

Jotunn sighed. “Too many times. Past the point of counting. Now let’s get this over with; what dastardly type of assistance do you need, elf?”

Gelebor frowned. “Nothing like what you described. I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur...my brother.”

Jotunn snorted with laughter. “Oh. Is that all? Let me guess: he betrayed you or did something horrible and now you want him dead.”

“No, nothing like that. I only wish his suffering to end!” Gelebor said in defense. 

Serana hummed thoughtfully. “Why? What’s wrong with him?” 

Gelebor lowered his head. “The kinship between us is gone. I don’t understand what he’s become, but he’s no longer the brother I once knew and loved. It was the Betrayed...they did something to him. I don’t know why Auri-El would allow this to happen.”

“And what exactly did the Betrayed do?” Serana asked as Jotunn stepped closer to the campfire in hope that the heat would help clear his senses. 

The elf clenched his fists angrily. “They swept into the Chantry without warning and began killing everyone without pause. It was a massacre.”

“Didn’t you fight back? I find it hard to believe everyone just let the Falmer kill them without at least trying to put up a fight.” Jotunn said. 

Gelebor turned his gaze onto Jotunn. “The Chantry was a place of peaceful worship. And we didn’t just twiddle our fingers idly and let them kill us. I led a small group of paladins, but we were no match the Betrayed’s sheer numbers. They slaughtered everyone and stormed the Inner Sanctum where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur.”

Jotunn grunted, waving his hand over the flames. “And how do you know the Falmer didn’t just kill him? After they tortured him, of course. The Falmer do enjoy their torture.”

“He’s alive. I’ve seen him. Atop the balcony of the Inner Sanctum. But somethings wrong. He never looks as though he’s in pain or under duress. He just...stands there and watches, as though waiting.”

“And have you ever tried reaching him?” Serana asked.

Gelebor shook his head. Leaving the wayshrine unguarded for too long would be violating my sacred duty as a Knight-Paladin of Audi-El. And an assault on the Betrayed guarding the Inner Sanctum would only end with my death.”

Jotunn chuckled and sniffed. His nose was gradually clearing up. “Well that’s convenient for you. ‘Oh, if it’s a death sentence for one person but for two people like you, it’ll be as easy as breathing!’”

Serana sighed and rolled her eyes. “Please forgive my friend’s manners. He’s more dog than man. You said something about a wayshrine?”

Jotunn huffed as Gelebor nodded and walked over to the structure. “Yes, let me show you.” He raised his hands and cast some kind of spell on the structure. The structure rose out of the muddy pool surrounding it, revealing a room with several stoned in doorways. In the middle was a large filled bowl sitting on a pedestal. 

Gelebor turned back to them. “This structure is known as a wayshrine. They were used for meditation and for transport when the Chantry was a place of enlightenment. Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Audi-El to our Initiates.”

Serana nodded to the pedestal. “What’s that basin in the center signify?”

“Once an Initiate completed his mantras, he’d dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin at the wayshrine’s center and proceed to the next wayshrine.”

Now it was Serana’s turn to snort. “So these Initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water. Marvelous. How long would they have to do that?”

Gelebor blinked, not noticing her tone. Or choosing to ignore it. “Well, once the Initiate’s enlightenment was complete, he’d bring the ewer to the Chantry’s Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum would allow him to enter for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself.”

Jotunn saw Serana’s brow furrow together. “All that just to end up dumping out? Makes no sense to me.”

“It’s symbolic. I don’t expect you to understand.” Gelebor said icily. 

Jotunn snickered as Serana sighed. “So, let’s get this straight. We need to do all that nonsense to get into the temple, so we can kill your brother and claim Auriel’s Bow?”

Jotunn laughed. “When you say it out loud, it sounds so easy. Doing it is going to be a pain in the ass. Let’s hope this stupid bow is worth it.”

Gelebor frowned. “I know how it all sounds, but if there was another way I’d have done it long ago instead of waiting all this time. The only way to get what you want is to follow in the Initiate’s footsteps from one wayshrine to the next. The first lay at the end of Darkfall Passage, a cavern that represents the absence of enlightenment.”

“And how many more wayshrines are there?” Asked Serana.

“There are five in total, spread far apart across the Chantry.”

Jotunn grunted, impressed. “Five? These caves must be massive then.”

Gelebor grinned. “Caves? Oh, no. The Chantry encompasses far more than a few caves, as you’ll soon discover. But before I send you on your way, here is the Initiate's Ewer. Don’t fear the water spilling out as the jug is magical; it’ll keep any water inside until you get closer to the Sanctum. Now good luck. I hope you survive the experience.” He said before he handed Jotunn a small jug. It was light enough but he imagined before this was over, it’d be fairly heavy. 

Jotunn and Serana entered the wayshrine and Jotunn dipped the ewer into the bowl, gathering up some shimmering liquid. As he did, the stone doorframe in front of him also shimmered and the stones vanished. On the other side of the magical doorway was a cave, faintly lit up by a purple hue coming off some small flowers on the ground. Other than the purple, the cave was completely shrouded in darkness. A darkness that Jotunn couldn’t even see through. Staring into this abyss, Jotunn suddenly got a feeling of dread. Something told him that this Darkfall Passage was was he had been nervous about at the entrance to the cave. 

“So...um,” He said, swallowing a tiny lump in his throat. “Who wants to be first through the foreboding door of gloom and darkness?”

Serana groaned and shivered. “I swear, after we get this damn bow, I’m never going into another cave again. Especially creepy ones like this one.”

“Yeah, but uh, ladies first?”

Serana raised an eye at him and he sighed. “Fine. But if I turn around and you aren’t behind me, I’m going to be very upset.”

Serana chuckled and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. “You’re my hero.”

Jotunn turned to the doorway and stepped through, muttering under his breath, “Yeah, yeah. Lucky me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Who else both loves and hates Darkfall Passage? And I’m curious to see what everyone is thinking so far :)   
> Until next chapter! And stay safe!


	33. Falmer, Ewers, and Dramatic Flair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana make their way through Darkfall Passage. And Jotunn only trips once

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one is on the short side but there’s some funny banter and some action

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

Going through the portal was more like walking through a curtain instead of walking through fire like Jotunn had thought it’d feel like. It wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t horrible either so he decided to call it a win. And given that he didn’t have to give up a piece of his soul to walk through, he was more than okay with it. 

He looked around, unsurprised to see that the portal had worked but also a little unnerved by how dark this new tunnel was. He was suddenly glad for the tiny purple plants that were giving off a faint glow. It added some color to an otherwise colorless tunnel. He turned around just in time to see Serana step through the portal, giving a slight shiver once she was through. 

“That...wasn’t as unpleasant as I thought it would be. Kind of soothing, actually. I feel a little warmer, now.” She said quietly. 

Jotunn shrugged. He wouldn’t have described the experience as soothing, but to each their own. 

“In any case, let’s get this over with. Let’s...Great. Things are never easy, are they?” Jotunn muttered. As he took a step forward, the purple plant had suddenly retreated into itself and the light it provided had gone out. Whatever kind of plant it was, it clearly didn’t like any movement close to it .

Serana blinked. “So? Just don’t walk near the plants and our light source won’t go out. Easy.”

Jotunn gasped in mock surprise. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” 

Serana rolled her eyes and shoved him, pushing him closer to the next plant which made it lose its light. When Jotunn stared at her, she smiled at him innocently. “Do you have your smell back, by the way? I’d rather not have to lead you around like a lost dog again if I can help it.”

Glaring at her, Jotunn sniffed. Then gave her his best wolfish grin. “You smell like death had a baby with dried mud and named the baby spider guts.” He said smugly, earning himself a hard punch in the shoulder. 

“You could have just said yes.”

Jotunn rubbed his shoulder. There was probably going to be a new bruise there later. “I could have, but where’s the fun in that?”

And with that, the two began walking down the thin tunnel, careful not to get too close to the purple plants and lose their light. Had anyone but them gone through, they’d be fumbling around trying to find their footing. But their heightened senses helped ensure that they were alright. Instead of being blind, it was more like they were seeing in the dark as well as a normal person would out in the wilderness; it was difficult but not impossible. As they walked, the ground beneath their feet gradually got muddier and muddier until they were standing in a murky pool of water almost up to their ankles. The more they walked, the more Jotunn could smell Falmer. He was about to warn Serana when they came across some kind of large moldy sac. 

It was a molted green color and clung to the muddy ground, with two hardened spikes protruding from one end. If Jotunn didn’t know better, he’d say it was the mummified carcass of an ox. But that was impossible. 

He frowned as he studied the strange gooey sac. He could faintly smell something coming from inside the sac but he couldn’t quite place it. 

“Do you hear that hissing or is it just me?” Serana whispered. 

Jotunn blinked.  _ Hissing is never a good sign.  _

Some sixth sense told him to back away just as the sac exploded. He realized too late that it wasn’t a sac at all; it was a cocoon. 

A large hissing insect burst forth from the cocoon. It looked like a mix of a chorus and a hornet. It had two long arms with spikes and two thin wings that flapped at a speed too fast to see. A stinger poised at the end of its tail and chiten covered most of its fleshy underbelly. Small pincers dropped some kind of spit or venom from underneath its eyes and antennas. 

Jotunn flinched at the sight of the bug, even as he swung his sword at it, slicing off one of it’s legs. Hissing in pain, it lunged at him. Jotunn moved back before kicking it. The bug fell to the floor and Jotunn jumped on its head, crushing it. He stepped on it again for good measure and then shook his foot to try and get some of the bug blood off. “Yuck.” 

He turned to Serana, who was eyeing him with a smile. “What are you smiling at?”

Serana shrugged. “That was some rather quick work there is all.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing. You know, you don’t have to act all agressive and the like around giant bugs now just because some spiders got the better of you. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

Jotunn groaned. “Enough about the spiders, please. One tiny mishap and now you won’t stop teasing me about it.”

Serana’s smile widened. “It’s okay; so the great and powerful Dragonborn was nearly bested by some bugs. Your secret is safe with me, don’t worry.”

Jotunn’s eyes narrowed as he glared at her. “Don’t make me bite you again; I absolutely will.”

Serana sighed almost happily and fanned her head. “Now who’s teasing?” 

Jotunn stared at her. “You have problems, Serana.”

She laughed and gave him a little push. “And yet, you like me anyway. Now enough chatting. We have a cup to fill.”

“It’s an ewer.”

“Who cares?”

They pressed forward, following the winding tunnel through the occasional puddle of murky water. The deeper they walked, the more signs of Falmer Jotunn saw. He’d seen enough Falmer to recognize their makeshift tools and weapons lying around. Regardless of what Gelebor had said, the Falmer were still dark and twisted to him. He’d seen what they do to those unlucky enough to come across them. Horrific torture was the least they’d inflict upon their captured subjects. Some of the things he had seen in Alftand and Blackreach still made his skin crawl. He pitied what the Falmer once were, but now they deserved nothing but a quick death. 

Soon, they came across the inevitable. A mud cracked hole in the walls of the tunnel. Little hideouts Falmer liked to sit in and wait for something to come along. Before he became a werewolf, Jotunn hated the hideouts. More than once, he’d gone past one thinking it was empty only to realize it wasn’t and nearly get stabbed in the back. 

He raised a hand as a Falmer crept out of the hole and dropped down to the ground, its ears twitching as it listened. Unfortunately for it, it was near a vampire and a master thief. All it could hear was the typical noises of the cave. 

Serana met Jotunn’s eyes in an unspoken question. Jotunn blinked slowly as an answer and silently walked up to the Falmer that was facing him. Careful not to make any sudden noises, Jotunn gripped his sword a little tighter. And with one lightning fast jab, sank the sword into the Falmer’s chest. Without a sound, it died and Jotunn carefully grabbed it and slowly laid it down. He gave a nod to Serana ans they continued on. They exited the tunnel and stepped out into a small cavern, partially lit up by odd blue crystals. Several holes were dug into the walls of the cavern and Falmer architecture was spread out, if thin fences and huts made of chaurus shells could be called architecture. On the far side of the cavern was an entrance to another tunnel. Towards the center of the cavern was the skeletal remains of some unfortunate soul, thrown together randomly to make some kind of idol or warning. Instead of fighting a whole host of Falmer with their new skeleton buddy, they decided to just sneak by them. After all, there was a slim chance that the Falmer would even notice they were there. Sneaking through would take longer, of course, but it was safer. Safer than getting into a big fight and alerting the whole cave system to their presence, at least.

Sneaking through the cavern to the other tunnel was relatively easy for them. It was almost a game for Jotunn to try and reach the other side before Serana did. He was proud to say he won. A fact he was definitely going to brag about later. 

Carefully bypassing the bone alarms in the next room, they pressed on. From the sound, they were quickly coming up on an underground waterfall. One which turned out to be behind a large Falmer camp. Several huts sat in front of the waterfall, with a couple bridges leading through the water. Among the huts was a fenced pen with a couple of chaurus residing inside. 

While they could easily sneak past like they had done earlier, Jotunn could feel his blood begin to boil. This was too good a fight to pass up. He motioned for Serana to get ready, then he crept closer to the camp. When he was a certain distance away, he looked towards the far left side of the cavern and gave a quiet Shout. “ZUL MEY GUT!” His voice was thrown over to the left side, just loud enough for many of the Falmer to hear. Within moments, a swarm of Falmer hurried over to inspect the left side of the cavern, unknowingly providing a window for Jotunn to seamlessly shoot an arrow through each of the chaurus’s heads. Then he was off running silently towards the group of Falmer, with Serana right by his side. 

She hurtled three shards of ice into the group, killing three Falmer instantly before they knew what was going on. Jotunn was able to shoot one more before closing in. Then they were upon them. 

Jotunn ran through one of the Falmer and then spun, swinging his sword at the neck of another. He raised his other sword to block a Falmer blade then repaid its owner with a swipe of his own. Seeing movement in the side of his eyes, he pivoted his foot and met another Falmer blade, catching the blade before sliding his sword down and stabbing the Falmer in its face. It screeched and fell backwards into one of its brethren, giving Jotunn the opportunity to kill both of them on the ground. Jotunn then turned his attention to more of them, his blades like scythes culling wheat. 

A few feet away, Serana was slicing her way through the group of Falmer, her dagger in one hand and a ball of electricity in the other which arced around the battlefield, killing Falmer after Falmer. She easily sidestepped an obvious lunge and stuck her dagger into her attacker’s neck before jumping back out of the way of another failed lunge from another contorted elf. It was too easy. So much so that it almost took the fun out of the fight. But as far as fights went, this one wasn’t too bad. Fighting a bunch of blind twisted elves deep down in the bowels of an underground labyrinth of caves with a battle hungry Dragonborn marked her top five fights. 

The two made short work of the group within minutes. A couple more Falmer emerged from the other side of the waterfall, but before they could fully cross the bridge, they each fell with electricity coursing through their veins. They never stood a chance. 

Wiping the blood from his blades, Jotunn grinned. “That was good practice.”

Serana snorted. “Come now, they tried their hardest.”

Jotunn laughed as he shrugged and sheathed one of his swords. “Braith back in Whiterun would have put up more of a fight than those Falmer.”

Serana frowned. “Who?”

Jotunn snickered. “Never mind.”

“So are you going to have a look about for anything valuable like usual?”

Jotunn shook his head as he began making his way towards the beige. “Nope. Falmer never have anything good on them. Usually just some poisons and odd alchemy ingredients. And if they actually do have something of value, chances are I’ve got enough already locked away in one of my houses.”

Serana shrugged. It was hard to argue with his logic. 

They crossed the bridge, both flinching as the cold water fell over them. After a few moments of looking, they entered a darker tunnel and followed it to its end which was a deadend. On the side of the wall was some kind of Falmer device. Two identical levers clung to the rock, clearly in control of the stone door which made the tunnel look like a deadend. 

Serana hummed. “Pull chains and traps. Lovely. Whatever’s on the other side of this, the Falmer wanted to keep there.”

Jotunn grinned at her. “In my experience, the best locked doors hide the best treasures.” He said as he pulled on one of the levers. A satisfying click sounded and then the rocky wall began to slide open, revealing a large cavern filled with strange mushrooms and even stranger rocks that glowed blue. A path was carved out of a ledge that led down to another wayshrine, littered with bright thin plants that looked more like sculptures rather than plants. Jotunn grunted.  _ I know some people in the warrens that would love this place.  _

After carefully traversing the path down to the wayshrine, a spectre formed in front of them. The shimmer apparition bowed. “Welcome, Initiates. This is the Wayshrine of Illumination. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with his enlightenment?”

Jotunn cringed. “Gross.”

Serana sighed and nodded. 

“Then behold Auri-El’s gift my child. May it light your path as you seek tranquility within the inner sanctum.” The spectre said as it cast a spell just like Gelebor had which brought the wayshrine out of the ground to its full height. 

Jotunn stepped forward and took out the ewer before collecting some of the water in the basin in the shrine. As he did, another portal opened in front of him, this time leading to an outside cave with more glowing rocks. A blanket of snow covered the ground, evidence of an open ceiling. 

Jotunn groaned. He wasn’t looking forward to more shrines if all of them had portals they had to go through. After the Soul Cairn, he was over creepy portals. 

Before he could change his mind, he walked through the portal and out into the other cave. This time, there was daylight above his head with another tunnel in front of him. 

Serana hummed as she stepped out of the portal. Apparently, she didn’t mind it as much as he did. “Ahh, that almost makes me warmer.”

Jotunn snorted. “So have any thoughts on this place?” He asked.

Serana thought for a moment, then said in a gruff voice, “‘Serana, this place is as beautiful as you are...Pale, white snow like your flawless skin. Cold like your touch. I could get lost in those gentle yet terrifying eyes of yours.’” 

Jotunn chuckled. “You didn’t quite get my accent right, but I’ll give you credit for trying. Plus you’re actually somehow warm to the touch. But still, a solid effort. That  _ is  _ something I can see myself saying.”

Serana gave him a smirk. “A bit eccentric, but that’s why I like you.”

Jotunn raised an eye. “That’s why you like me? For my dramatic flair? Not for my looks or smarts of amazing sense of humor?”

Serana smiled. “Well, yeah. I thought that was obvious. I mean, all of those things are great and all but that poor taste of flair is what gets me all aquiver with lust.”

Jotunn blinked. “Serana? Aquiver? What, are you conducting poetry now?” 

“You wish I was.”

“Actually, for the state of my ears, I wish you weren’t.”

Serana huffed and playfully slapped his arm before giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. “Ass.”

He grinned. “See, now  _ that’s  _ why you like me.”

Serana rolled her eyes. Bud she didn’t object.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter hopefully won’t take as long as this one to do (not that this one took forever haha). Anyway, stay safe and until next time which may or may not have some romance :)


	34. Warming Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jotunn and Serana explore the Forgotten Vale and have a couple sweet moments before a surprise from underwater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty thanks for the wait! It took a while to get the dialogue in this chapter right but I think it came out fine eventually haha. Rare sweet moments ahead!

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

“Now  _ this  _ is a view.” Jotunn said from atop the ridge they were standing on. They’d carefully hiked up an encircling tunnel out of the hole they had been in. Following a short rocky path, they quickly reached the top where they were greeted by a spectacular view. 

Stretched out before them was a massive valley, filled with large colorful trees. Flowers Jotunn had never seen before were blossoming in the hundreds and purple moss hugged certain patches of ground below. A thin coat of snow blanketed the rest of the ground as flurries fell down, getting lost in the light fog that rolled through the trees. Several broken pale arches were visible throughout the valley, still standing after what had to be ages. The distant sound of a waterfall could be heard. Weird smelling deer roamed around the valley, along with what had to be a few sabre cats and more giant spiders. He smelled a few rabbits bouncing about as well, but other than that, there weren’t many animals nearby. Off in the distance, he could faintly smell Falmer. But that was a problem for later. For now, he was simply taking in the sight before him. 

Serana joined his side, whistling at the view. Her hand lightly touched his own and he grasped it, giving it a gentle squeeze. “This is incredible. It’s like a whole other world. Have you ever seen a view like this on your adventures?”

Jotunn smiled, “I’ve seen a number of breathtaking views in my time, but this is a first.”

Serana inched closer, almost close enough to lean her head against his shoulder if she wanted to. “You know, I have you to thank for this view.”

Jotunn chuckled. “I’m pretty sure the view is nature’s doing, not mine.”

Serana snickered. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Just...all of this. It almost doesn’t feel real. Here we are, gazing out at a beautiful horizon in a beautiful valley, on the hunt for the weapon of a god in order to stop a world ending prophecy. We’re here together, a host of adventures under our belts already. All because you didn’t kill a vampire at first sight. I mean, the only reason we’re here at all right now is because you were nice when you rescued me from that monolith. So by that technicality, thanks for the view.”

Jotunn grinned. “Just so you know, I could have easily killed you then.”

Serana pushed into him lightly. “Not easily.”

Jotunn snorted. “Using my own words against me. Clever.”

She shrugged. “I’m a clever vampire, what can I say?”

They stood there for a few minutes, hand in hand just enjoying the sights. It wasn’t everyday one saw a landscape such as this one and they were going to savor it as much as they could. 

Jotunn cleared his throat, the noise cutting through the calm atmosphere. “This view? It’s got a certain beauty to it. But it uh...doesn’t come close to matching yours.”

Serana looked sidelong at him, a question in her eyes. “Is that your attempt at being romantic? Wait, are you coming down with something? Finally lost your mind?”

Jotunn averted his eyes. He hadn’t quite known what he was saying. The words sort of just spilled out before he could think about them. The view and the mood had gotten to him. 

“No, I was simply—Look, I just wanted to tell you...I don’t know. That I’ve grown attached to you and stuff like that is what people say when they really care about someone. Ah, it was stupid and cheesy of me.”

Serana raised her other hand to his cheek and gently pulled his face towards her, smiling at him. “It wasn’t stupid at all. Cheesy, maybe, but definitely not stupid.” 

Jotunn grinned as she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. “It sounded sappy even as I said it.”

She paused for a moment. “So...you’ve grown attached to me, huh?” She teased.

His cheeks reddening, Jotunn cleared his throat and escaped her grasp, making his way towards what was obviously a path down from the ledge. “Er, come on. The bow has to be in this valley somewhere. Ewer isn’t going to fill itself.”

As he moved away, he heard Serana whisper, “I’ve grown attached to you too.” There was no way she didn’t think he hadn’t heard her. And there was no way she’d forgotten how good his hearing was. So she either meant that or she’d accidentally let it slip as he had.

Either way, hearing those words made Jotunn hesitate for a split second. It wasn’t often he heard someone say that to him. In fact, it very well might have been the first time anyone had said that to him. Those exact words weren’t nearly as important as the meaning behind them. A meaning not even Snilf or Lydia had conveyed to him before. 

He’d gone most of his life being needed and used. Used as a tool in most cases. Steal this for me, find this for me, kill them for me, do this and that and then some more. Most people he met only needed him for something or another and once the task was finished, he was moving on and they would act as if they hadn’t even met him. No one aside from a small number of people ever attempted to get to know him, much less form a connection with him. Fewer still had told him they appreciated him or that they consider him a friend. No one ever told him that he was special to them. Not because he could do something for them or because he’d saved the world or anything. Not one had ever told him he meant something to them simply for being him, without needing something from him. And here he was, hearing it from the first time from a vampiress of all people. And unsurprisingly, he was glad it was Serana. 

He recovered quickly, forging ahead with Serana following. He could practically feel her eyes on his back. She had noticed his falter when she’d spoken.  _ Of course she did. Nothing goes unnoticed by her.  _

He hoped she didn’t put two and two together, but knowing her, she already had and was just not saying anything about it. Which meant she’d bring it up later when he least expected it. He mentally sighed and shook it from his thoughts. Better to focus on finding the other wayshrines. 

The two carefully climbed down from the ledge and walked through the forest. After finding one wayshrine among the trees and finding another on the other side of a small ravine, they made camp beside a small half frozen waterfall that tumbled out into a frozen river. Night had already fallen and moonlight was bouncing off the ice. Normally they would make a tiny fire, but they chose not to this time, seeing as they were in unfamiliar territory. Neither wanted to draw unnecessary attention if they could help it. 

Jotunn shivered as an extra cool breeze found it’s way down his neck. If he had known going down a cave would eventually lead them to a cold snowy valley, he would have brought some warmer clothes. But all he had brought was some light ones to go under his armor. The warmest thing he had was the blanket that acted as his bed when he camped. Which wasn’t quite getting the job done even with it draped over his shoulders. Cold was no stranger to him, of course, but usually he had the right tools at his disposal to help keep him warm. And not having a fire wasn’t helping either. 

Serana, however, was perfectly content in the cold. If anything, she seemed a little  _ too  _ content. The benefits of being undead, she’d say. 

“You look cold.” She said to him as he sat in front of a boulder, staring up at the night sky. 

He glanced over at her. She was standing a few feet away, fidgeting with the small pebble she always seemed to have. “Brilliant deduction, there. I look cold because I am. I wish I’d brought a thicker blanket.” Jotunn said curtly. 

She snickered. “I would have thought being a werewolf would make you fine in the cold.”

“Yeah, when I’m in my werewolf form, sure. I’d be all warm and fuzzy right now. But as you can see, I’m lacking all the extra hair and muscle at the moment to keep me warm.”

Serana shrugged. “If you’re nice, I might offer to help warm you up.”

Jotunn laughed, rubbing his hands together. “How? By turning me into a vampire? Lighting me on fire? Willing the sun to rise early? Oh, or are you going to tell me to get warmer and I’ll magically get warmer?”

Serana rolled her eyes at his jokes and came to sit down beside him, pocketing her pebble before wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. “You’re an ass.” She said pleasantly. 

Jotunn snorted and placed his head on her shoulder, breathing in her scent. The longer he was around her, the more she smelled like jasmine and less like death. He didn’t know if it was just him but he swore she almost smelled alive at times. “And you’re just realizing that now?” He teased. 

“Actually, I realized it seconds after I met you.” 

Jotunn grinned. “What gave it away?”

Serana chuckled. “Easy. The way you said hello. You were kind of smug about it.”

Jotunn smiled. “Uh huh.” He let his head slide off her shoulder and down to rest against her chest. “You make a good pillow.” 

She laughed. “Gee, thanks. So am I warming you up?”

“If I say yes, will you keep hugging me?” 

Serana hummed as if thinking about her answer. “I suppose,” She was quiet for a moment before suddenly speaking up. “Jotunn?”

“Yeah?”

“What would your friends say to us...sleeping together and everything?”

Jotunn coughed, the question catching him off guard. “Er, shit. I don’t know. I hadn’t thought of that.”

Serana readjusted, leaning back against the boulder and bringing Jotunn along with her. “It’s just a thought; you don’t have to answer. I’m just wondering what their reactions would be if they ever found out about us. Call me curious I guess.”

Jotunn shivered again as another swift gust of wind washed over them and inched closer to Serana. Who was surprisingly helping him warm up a bit. A fact he would never explicitly tell her. 

“Hmm. That’s a tough one. I mean, I know a  _ lot  _ of people.”

“I’m not talking about people you know; I’m talking about your friends. Brynolf, Aela, and the rest.”

Jotunn thought for a moment, then chuckled. “Well, Brynolf would question my sanity. Delvin would question yours. Vex would just roll her eyes. Ralof would laugh thinking it was a joke. Aela would growl and then grab an ale. Farkas would congratulate us while Vilkas would ask us questions about it. And Lydia would punch me and ask you to look after me.”

Serana snorted. “Are we talking about the same Lydia? You really think she’d be relaxed about us being us? She hates me.”

“Ahh, Lydia doesn’t hate you. She’s just wary of you. She’s wary of anyone I choose to travel with. I’m sure if you two really talked, she’d like you. She likes everyone that doesn’t take any shit from me.” Jotunn said with a snicker.

“What about Snilf? How do you think he’d react?” 

Without a moment of thought, Jotunn smiled and said, “He’d tell us to cherish what we have and to never let it go. Then he’d ask us if we were serious.”

Serana was quiet for a few seconds and Jotunn felt her tense up. “And are we? Serious? About what we have?”

Jotunn chuckled. “We wouldn’t be huddled together like this if we weren’t,” He moved so that he could look up at her. She was staring down at him, a mix of worry and hope in her eyes. “In all seriousness, yes, I think it is serious. I can’t speak for you, but I think what we have, it’s special. Even if we’re still figuring out exactly what  _ it  _ is.”

Serana beamed at him, her grip around him tightening as she hugged him. “Tell anyone I said this and I’ll rip your throat out, but I agree with you; I like what we have.”

Jotunn chuckled as he buried his head in her chest, the cold suddenly not biting as much. “Careful, your sweet side is showing.”

She hummed as she held him. She didn’t have to say anything else. Jotunn knew her well enough to know what she was thinking. A blend of threatening to stop hugging him and a shush or two. What he didn’t know was that Serana wouldn’t have been able to stop hugging him even if she had wanted to. 

“So how many more of these stupid wayshrines do we have to find?” Jotunn asked Serana as they trudged up a snowy pathway. They’d spent the last hour or so following the path in the hopes that it would eventually lead them to another shrine as it had done so before. Without the more or less obvious path to help them along their way, they’d still be looking for the first shrine in the valley. Which was probably the reason for the path. Jotunn couldn’t imagine that a host of religious initiates would have been able to find all the shrines without some sort of path to guide them. Then again, it isn’t like he would have been able to either. Not in this valley.

Serana sighed in annoyance. “Like I said the last time you asked, we have two more wayshrines to go. Then we can work on finding the Inner Sanctum.”

“If the sanctum isn’t at the end of this path then I’m going to lose it and start shouting at things.” Jotunn mumbled under his breath as rubbed his hands. 

Serana laughed. “You already do that. Does that mean you’ve already lost it?”

Jotunn rolled his eyes and said nothing, instead, choosing to focus on the climb. The path was taking them up the side of a sloped hill and he had no intention of tumbling back the way they came. 

They soon reached the top of the hill and were met with another fantastic view. Stretched out before them was a huge frozen lake that sat underneath tall sheer cliffs. Towards the middle of the gleaming lake was a tiny island of snow with a single flat edged boulder. On the other side of the lake was the rest of the path. Built into the top of the cliffs was a pale stone balcony that had to be overlooking the entire valley. It was so high up that even a couple clouds drifted lazily underneath it. 

“I think we found the sanctum.” Serana said cheerfully. “It’s not very ‘inner,’ is it?”

Jotunn snickered despite his best efforts not to. The balcony wasn’t the thing currently grabbing his attention, but the boulder in the middle of the lake. The boulder was emanating powerful magic that could only be from words of power. 

“That boulder is a Word Wall.” Jotunn stated. 

“So?”

“Which means that there’s part of a Shout scratched into it. I’m kind of glad the lake is frozen now; makes walking to the Word a lot easier than swimming to it. Just our luck it’s on the way of the path too.”

Jotunn took a step onto the ice to test it and finding it was sturdy enough, started walking towards the boulder. 

“Does this ice feel a little...thin to you?” Serana asked as they walked. 

Jotunn gave a light chuckle before nearly slipping. “Serana, if it’s cold enough to freeze up the entire lake then it’s cold enough to make the ice thick enough for us to comfortably walk on.”

“Alright, well if we fall through and freeze, I’m blaming you.”

Jotunn grinned. “Fair enough.” 

The closer they got to the boulder, the more power he could feel coming off it. It was definitely a strong word, whatever it was. When they were close enough, he could hear the familiar hum radiating off the wall. He’d learned dozens of Words and Shouts over the years and hearing that hum never failed to make him tingle with anticipation. 

They reached the boulder and Jotunn could see the faintly glowing words etched into the rock face. Below the words was a crumbling skeleton hunched over an old chest. 

Serana grunted. “So that’s a Word of Power? Doesn’t look like much; just some random scratches. And you can read that?”

Jotunn nodded as he stepped up to the claw marks, already memorizing what he saw. “I can’t actually read it, per say, but I know what it says. It’s like the moment I see a word, I sort of feel what it means. Or at least feel what it translates to in our tongue. This one is magicka, or LAH in the dragon tongue. I think it goes along with the one I learned in Dimhollow Crypt.”

Serana put her hand up. “Hold on, there was a Word Wall at Dimhollow?”

“Yeah, in that big room right before the exit. I learned the word as we were leaving. That’s what I was doing while you went on ahead. I didn’t want to make it obvious that I was Dragonborn by having you stop while I studied the Shout.”

Serana shook her head. “I  _ knew  _ you were up to something then! I shrugged it off and just thought you were looting. Ugh, how did I not notice that that was what you were doing?”

Jotunn laughed and turned around. “Beats me. Anyway, I’m all set. Now let’s—.” He was cut off by Serana who shushed him out of nowhere.

“You hear that?” She said, reaching for her dagger. 

Jotunn blinked. He didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary. He was about to ask what had gotten her so worked up when he heard it. The cracking of ice. Why that merited a reach for a weapon, he didn’t know. Ice moved all the time, what was so threatening about now? But then the sound got louder and louder, as if something was tearing through it rapidly. And whatever it was, it was coming from deep under the surface of the lake, about twenty yards away.

Right before the noise became as loud as thunder, it suddenly stopped. All was quiet. Almost eerily so. The only thing they could hear was the wind and their own breath. 

Jotunn went to speak when Serana cursed. “Shit.” And then, suddenly the ice in front of them exploded. Large shards of ice scattered everywhere and several razor sharp pieces would have sliced into Jotunn if Serana hadn’t tackled him to the ground in the blink of an eye. Through the hail of ice, Jotunn saw two enormous pairs of leathery wings unfold out of the lake. Two big dragons followed, erupting out from the ice and shooting up into the sky, each roaring in fury. 

Serana got off him and helped him to his feet. “You okay?” 

Grinning, Jotunn whipped out his blades as the two dragons circled above them, preparing to dive again. “Oh, I’m better than okay. Two dragons in one fight? This is by far one of the coolest surprises ever.”

“Jotunn.” Warned Serana.

“I know, talk later. But you have to admit, that entrance was incredible!” Jotunn said as one of the dragons dove down, shouting at them. 

“Jotunn!” Serana yelled at him.

“Ah, you take the fun out of everything.” Jotunn said with a smile before taking a breath and exhaling with a shout of his own. “YOL TOOR SHUL!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I got to say it’s almost weird writing semi romantic stuff for Jotunn and Serana cuz it’s not like they’re your typical sweet and loving couple haha. They’re more likely to curse each other out than be romantic (though that’s why I love them). Anyway, next chapter will be a big dragons fight and then probably get past the Falmer and to the Inner Sanctum. Thoughts so far? Until next time! And stay safe :)


	35. Two Dragons, Twice the Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia unwinds with some mutts and Jotunn and Serana do battle with dragons and a bunch of annoying Falmer. Both Serana and Jotunn show off to each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes sorry it’s been a while. It took forever to get this chapter to come out alright haha. Who knew it’d be tricky to do a dragon fight

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

“Phew, I’m spent. All this fighting lately has gotten me tired,” Lydia said as she sank into her chair by the fireplace. Placing her sword by the chair, she leaned back, rolling her neck muscles. “That was, what, the fourth attack in the last week?”

Aela grunted as she sat by the door to Breezehome. “The fifth. I swear, these vampires don’t know when to quit.”

Vilkas, who had joined them on their last fight with a group of vampires bent on attacking the city, snorted as he knelt down beside the fire. “Even I’m getting tired of killing them. They’re all just grunts with no real power.” He said as he scratched behind Meeko’s ears, who had joined him on the ground.

“Wonder why their attacks are increasing. Think it has anything to do with what Jotunn was rambling about last time he was here?” Aela asked. 

Lydia huffed. “I don’t want to talk about that idiot.”

Vilkas snickered. “Are you still angry that he hasn’t sent you a letter in a while?”

“Absolutely not.”

As Meeko rolled onto his back, Vilkas started rubbing his belly. Meeko looked much like a king getting pampered. “You know Jotunn. He’s probably knee deep in this vampire shit right now which doesn’t lend much time for letters.”

Lydia frowned, crossing her arms in a huff. “He promised he’d keep sending them.”

Aela laughed. “And how often does Jotunn keep his promises? Or remember them, for that matter.”

Lydia groaned. “Excellent point. I just wish he’d send us an update. It’d be nice to know what's going on or whether or not he’s found a way to stop these blasted vampires.”

“I’m sure he has. If anyone could single handedly save the world a third time, it’d be him.” Vilkas said. 

“Except he isn’t alone. That vampiress is with him. What was her name again?” Aela said, moving off the wall and sitting down beside the fire. 

“Serana.” Lydia growled. “I don’t trust her. For all we know, she’s pretending to be on our side so she can kill Jotunn with his guard down.”

Aela grunted. “You think so? I’m not so sure. During the short time they were here, she seemed genuinely curious about Jotunn and interested in him. Someone planning on betraying someone wouldn’t be able to hide that. I got the impression she actually liked him. And Jotunn couldn’t hide the fact that he liked her too.”

Lydia snorted incredulously. “You can’t honestly be suggesting that Jotunn and that bitch are friends.”

“I’m not suggesting anything. Merely pointing out that they both seemed like they got along rather well. Besides, I could hear Jotunn’s heartbeat rise whenever he was talking to her. That isn’t someone anyone can hide.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Lydia growled. 

Vilkas chuckled. “Refuse all you like. But Aela makes a good point. You know Jotunn better than almost anyone, Lydia. You know how much he despises vampires. The fact that he thinks this Serana vampire is special enough to not have killed at first sight says a lot.”

Lydia snorted and looked away. She was done talking about Serana. Whatever the others may think, she knew that the vampire was trouble. 

_ Either way, I wonder what he’s up to right now. Probably something stupid, knowing him. _

“Shit, this is fun!” Jotunn shouted in glee as he dove under the dragon’s swipe, nearly sliding into the icy cold water. 

“ _ This  _ is fun for you?” Serana yelled as she narrowly dodged the jaws of the second dragon. 

The two dragons had landed onto the frozen lake, nearly breaking the ice with their weight as they attacked Jotunn and Serana. With nothing but ice under them, finding their footing during the fight was almost as difficult as fighting the dragons. But for Jotunn, that made the fight just that much better. Fighting two dragons side by side with Serana, on a slippery frozen lake high up in the mountains of some undiscovered region, was like a good dream he was surprised he hadn’t already woken up from. 

Jotunn sliced at the dragon’s leg as it flew over his head. His blade barely scratched it’s scales. Which made sense being how the dragon had been under the icy water for who knows how long. 

Seeing its tail swinging towards him, he dropped at the last second. Jumping back up, albeit a little clumsily, he ran at the dragon. Only, before he could he could get close enough to strike at it again, it took off. It flew into the air, soon joined by the second dragon and both began to circle around them. 

Serana looked to Jotunn questioningly, who shrugged. He hadn’t been expecting the dragons to back off like that. Dragons would normally circle their opponents during a fight, especially when their opponent couldn’t join them in the air but they’d also be attacking from the air as they did so. These dragons weren’t attacking. At least, not yet. In fact, they almost appeared to be looking for an opening. 

Jotunn and Serana stood back to back as they watched and waited for the dragons' next move. It came suddenly when one of the dragons dived down, shooting towards them. Thinking that it was going to get in close and spew magic at them, Jotunn prepared to jump out of the way. Instead of attacking, however, the dragon slammed into the lake, smashing through the ice and creating a gaping hole that harmed the stability of the ice. The ice creaked and moaned underneath them as the dragon plunged through it. Then about thirty feet away, the dragon burst back out from under the ice and returned to the air, forming another large hole into the icy water. 

“Did it just..?” Jotunn muttered just as the second dragon plummeted through the ice too. With a jolt, he realized what the dragons were doing.  _ The bastards are trying to limit our room to move and control the battlefield!  _

The dragon burst out from the ice even as the other dragon slammed through it again. John cursed. At this point, they’d run out of solid ice to stand on. 

“They’re going to box us in!” Serana yelled as she shot a lightning bolt at the beasts. 

“Not likely!” Jotunn said as he waited for his chance. The dragons dived several more times, each time breaking more of the ice and making the sheet of the ice they were standing on, ever smaller. With each passing, Serana tried to hit them with lightning but none of her strikes connected as the dragons would just effortlessly dodge them. Jotunn watched them. These dragons were different from the others he’d faced. More strategic and agile, older. 

Jotunn narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, his chance came and the two dragons looked to be on a path to intersect. He waited another few seconds for the right moment, and when it did, he shouted. “JOOR ZAH FRUL!” 

His timing was perfect if he had to say. The force of his Shout enveloped both dragons in a blue hue at the same time and the effects of the Shout took hold instantly. The two dragons landed on the ice in front of them awkwardly, as if they had forgotten how to fly. “Mey Dovahkiin!!” One of them said, enraged that Jotunn had forced it to land. 

Jotunn smirked. “Petty insults are beneath you.” He said before he ran at the dragon closest to him, closing the gap between them quickly. Jumping out of the way of its jaws as it snapped at him, he slashed its eye with his sword. Roaring in fury, it swiped at him. Jotunn didn’t have any time to dodge. Instead, he simply said, “FEIM ZIL GRON,” the moment before the dragon’s leg struck him. And while the blow didn’t hurt him because of the Shout, it still knocked him back a ways. As he regained his balance, he saw Serana leaping onto the side of the dragon she was fighting and sinking her dagger into its hide even as she blasted lightning through its body. She looked so nonchalant that it almost made him chuckle. Only Serana would be so at ease hanging on to the side of a dragon as it thrashed around. 

He turned his attention back to his own attacking dragon just in time to sidestep its jaws. With a loud snap, it’s jaws closed around the space that he had occupied just mere seconds prior to moving. But with that snap, the dragon was now open to a counterattack as it had lunged forward at the expense of its balance. That, and Jotunn was now standing on the dragon’s blind side. He sank his blades into the chinks of the dragon’s scales. Using his swords as hand holds, he clamored up its side until he was standing atop its neck. Once he was on top of it, he heard a familiar roar close by. One that he knew he remembered from so where, but wasn’t quite able to place. He blinked and put the noise away. He had more pressing matters to think of. 

Leaping to its head as it tried to shake him off, Jotunn stood over its horns and with a yell, stabbed his swords through the dragon’s eyes as deep as he could. With a tremendous roar, the beast sprang to its hind legs, flapping its wings in pain before collapsing back down. The action nearly threw Jotunn through the air, but he somehow managed to hold on. At least until the dragon collapsed and he lost his balance and grip and slid off its head, onto the bloody ice. 

Cursing as he rose, the dragon’s skin was already beginning to dissolve, leaving behind its skeleton as its soul was absorbed by Jotunn. He bowed his head slightly for a moment out of respect to a worthy adversary, then turned his attention back to Serana and her fight. The view before him was enough to make him raise his eyes in both surprise and pride. 

The second dragon was still on the ground from his Shout. And staring it down, was Serana in what had to be her vampire lord form. Which Jotunn had to admit, was impressive. 

Her form was much like Harkon’s had been, but there were a few differing aspects. Unlike Harkon, she wasn’t wearing a fancy crown or anything. She had the same kind of cloak thing around her waist that Harkon had. Her hair had gotten longer and had turned gray. Her wings were a little thinner than Harkon’s as well, but her fangs were longer. Her body was gray with some dark green mixed in and well toned. From a distance, she also looked to be just slightly shorter than Harkon was in his form, but she very well made up for it in intensity. While Harkon in his vampire lord hadn’t frightened Jotunn, or even really impressed him that much, Serana’s did. Maybe because he actually knew her so he knew how frightening she could be, or it was just that her vampire lord form was better than her father’s. Either way, Jotunn was impressed.  _ Alright, now that’s a hint to not piss her off too much. _

The dragon snarled at her, to which she snarled right back, refusing to back down. She stood, calm and ready for the inevitable attack. It came swiftly, with the dragon lunging forward to snap her in half with its jaws. Instead of dodging like Jotunn figured she would, Serana held her ground. And with the blink of an eye, she raised her arms and stopped it with her hands. Catching it’s open jaws, she slid back a couple inches but remained strong, holding the dragon’s jaws apart and stopping it in its tracks. She held it there as if she wasn’t holding back the entire weight and force of a dragon.

The action surprised the dragon and practically blew Jotunn’s mind away. He’s seen plenty of incredible spectacles in his time, but seeing anyone catch a dragon’s jaws like that was a first. 

Then Serana shocked him once more when she began to slowly push the dragon back. Not by much, but she was noticeably pushing it away. It was then that Jotunn knew. In a fight of pure strength, he wouldn’t stand a chance against her without his Shouts. 

Seeing it’s chance, the dragon’s mouth began to glow with magic. Right before it let loose with a Shout, Serana rushed off out of the way as a swarm of bats. She regained her form a safe distance away as the dragon spewed out flames that melted the ice closest to it. 

Within seconds, Serana closed the distance and began hacking and slashing away at the beast’s hide. The dragon, now thoroughly enraged, roared. With Dragonrends effects wearing off, the dragon flapped its wings and took off into the air once more. But this time, Serana followed it, soaring up to join it among the clouds. Serana practically tackled the dragon midair, colliding with it in a blur of teeth and claws. Somehow, she managed to find herself in front of its jaws again. And when it opened its mouth to Shout at her, she grabbed onto its jaws yet again before hurling a blast of magical energy down its throat. Blood shot out from its mouth and it faltered, suddenly losing altitude with Serana still holding onto it. 

Jotunn cursed as he realized that the dragon was falling right above him. He hurried to move out of the way before it could crush hun. As he watched, the dragon slammed down into the water. Instead of diving, however, it merely slowly started to sink as Serana stood on its back. With a jolt, Jotunn realized that the dragon had died before it had hit the water. 

Serana jumped off its back and floated onto the sheet of ice Jotunn was standing on. She reverted back to her human form just as Jotunn absorbed the dragon’s soul. 

She winked at him as she rolled her shoulders. “I admit, that  _ was  _ pretty fun.”

Jotunn grinned and gave her a short round of applause to which she bowed slightly. “That was amazing! You were incredible, Serana. And I had no idea you could hold open a dragon’s mouth like that.”

Serana chuckled. “Me neither.”

Jotunn whistled. “Well shit, then. My respect for you just increased twofold.”

“And you weren’t at all bothered by my uh, winged form?” 

Jotunn snickered, shaking his head as he looked around at all the giant holes in the ice. “Not even a little bit. I think it’s pretty cool, actually. You’re way more intimidating in that form than your father is, too, by the way. It works for you. Besides, a mangy mutt like me is in no position to judge your battiness.”

Serana stared at him before breaking out with laughter. 

Jotunn blinked. “What? What’s so funny?”

Still chuckling, Serana walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, followed up with a friendly shove. “One day, Jotunn, you’re not going to surprise me anymore. And I hope that day never comes.”

“Okay?” Jotunn rubbed where she had shoved him. He didn’t get what she was saying, but he knew that even her playful pushes still had a lot of force behind them. 

Serana clapped her hands. She seemed in high spirits. A good dragon fight does do that to people, Jotunn found. “Alright! Let’s press on. Who knows what else this vale has in store for us?”

Jotunn groaned. “Please don’t say that. I’m not sure I want to find out what’s next. What if it’s giant man eating ash hoppers that explode? I mean, the small ones are bad enough.”

Serana looked sidelong at him as they carefully traversed what was left of the frozen lake. He shook his head. “It’s a long story.”

After safely crossing the lake, they continued following the makeshift path. They found another wayshrine and after gathering some of its water, pressed on. Eventually coming into contact with more Falmer. 

There weren’t many, but they were all perched on the path that was now leading up several tall natural bridges. Taking their time, Jotunn and Serana managed to either sneak past or kill the lookouts along their way. The rocky path led them to another cave entrance by a babbling stream, guarded by a shaman who Serana took out with a single ice spike. Inside the cave was more Falmer, but nothing they couldn’t handle. What awaited them at the exit to the cave, was another matter. 

They stepped out of the cave and into a maze of Falmer huts and walkways, all built into and on top of each other. It was almost as annoying to get through as the Labyrinthian, and that place had taken Jotunn days to find his way through. Luckily, there was less magic involved, but it was still annoying. 

Jotunn cursed under his breath as he sank his sword into yet another Falmer soldier.  _ I bet Gelebor’s actual initiates never had to fight to find the Inner Sanctum. The hardest thing for them was just lugging a jar over a mountain and stumbling through a cave or two. Not fighting through a nest of Falmer. Granted, they weren’t Falmer then, but still. This shit is annoying.  _

As he cut down the last of the Falmer attacking them, he sighed tiredly. This constant fighting was even starting to wear him down. He was tired of all the fighting and bloodshed. It seemed like his whole life had been just that. A constant fight.  _ I swear, after we stop Harkon, I’m retiring for real this time. There’s no way there’s going to be another world ending thing I’ll have to stop. My luck can’t be  _ that  _ bad, can it? _

Jotunn wiped the blood from his swords on the side of a hut and regrouped with Serana. The vampire gave him a toothy grin. “If there weren’t so many blasted Falmer, I’d say this is a nice hike.”

Jotunn snorted. “Yeah, I’m loving the peaceful atmosphere of this place. It really screams, ‘turn back or be tortured by crazy blind elves.’ No wonder there aren’t more visitors.”

Serana snickered as they continued. “I’m just glad that their numbers appear to be dwindling. So either we’re heading in the right direction, or there’s something even worse than Falmer at the end of this path.”

“With our luck, it’s probably both.” 

They kept walking and soon came to the last wayshrine. After quickly getting more water, they rounded a bend and were met by a huge fortress on the other side of a long bridge. Ice clung to the walls of the pale white fortress that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere. One minute, they’re in a maze of Falmer and the next, they’re staring at big beautiful elven walls. The architecture was impressive, but well within Jotunn’s expectations of ancient elven buildings. The strange thing was that it was like the very air around the place was warning them not to get close. 

“That...has to be the place. I’ve never seen a building like that before. Definitely looks like some kind of temple. It almost doesn’t even look real, you know?” Serana said as they crossed over the bridge. 

Inside the gates was a big statue of an elf holding the sun. The statue’s eyes seemed to stare at them as they walked up. And in Jotunn’s experience, gods and daedra usually were watching through statues. They were creepy like that.

Serana hummed. “This is a statue of Auriel, but it’s using the older signs of his power. This temple must be ancient. The bow has to be here somewhere.”

“It damn well better be. Otherwise, I’m kicking Gelebor in his balls.” Jotunn said as they stepped up to the front door. The door was closed with some kind of enormous lock and there was an empty basin in front of it. Which had to be where the wayshrine stuff came into play. 

Jotunn emptied the ewer of its contents and they watched as the water dripped down the basin and filled some marks in the floor leading to the door. With a soft click, the door unlocked. 

Jotunn couldn’t help but laugh. All that fanfare and ceremony and hiking, just to unlock the front door. Gelebor and his fellow snow elves definitely had a sense of humor, that’s for sure. 

With the door unlocked, they unsheathed their weapons and slowly stepped up to it. Jotunn pushed open the door and they stepped inside a large welcoming hall...filled with frozen solid Falmer and Chaurus. 

Jotunn chuckled which earned him a glance from Serana. “Hey, look at that. I was right. It  _ is  _ both. Lucky us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I have some good plans for the next two chapters so here’s hoping it doesn’t take too long for those ideas to come to fruition haha. Anyway, until next time! And as always, stay safe :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you are enjoying this story! I don't know how many chapters there will be but I do know there will be quite a lot eventually. Most of my stories end up having a lot of them at least. Anyway, I hope you stick with me during this adventure! And let me know what you think :)


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